Magical Alliance
by AkizukiSakura
Summary: With Voldemort gone, the wizarding world was allowed to release its collective breath. The danger seems to be over. So why are people who aren't even associated with wizards having visions that pertain to the hidden, magical world? YGO/CCS/HP Crossover ON HIATUS
1. Dreams and Letters

**Title: **_Magical Alliance__  
_**Author: **_AkizukiSakura  
_**Series: **_Yuugi-ou/Harry Potter/Cardcaptor Sakura__  
_**Genre: **_Romance/Fantasy__  
_**Rating: **_M/R  
_**Pairing(s): **_Yami no Yuugi/Yuugi, Bakura/Ryou, Sakura/Scorpius, others pending__  
_**Spoilers/Warnings: **_Since all three series referenced here are complete, let it be safe to assume that I might reference anything and everything. This is heavily plot divergent.__  
_**Disclaimer: **_Yuugi-ou belongs to Takahashi Kazuki-san. Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling. Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to CLAMP. I own only the basic plot and make no monetary profit off this story.__  
_**Summary: **_With Voldemort gone, the wizarding world was allowed to release its collective breath. The danger seems to be over. So why are people who aren't even associated with wizards having visions that pertain to the hidden, magical world?__  
_**Notes: **_In order to make this work, I had to pretty much cut, paste, slash, and hack the plots of each series to respective pieces. With that in mind, please excuse the obscenely long note, and address any concerns in reviews. I'd be happy to explain anything that is not a plot point for later. Please note that the teaching staff at Hogwarts will be _drastically_ different than it is in the books, for reasons that will be obvious soon enough._

_Harry Potter is canon through perhaps book four (Dumbledore, Sirius, Snape, and all other casualties of war from the fifth, sixth, and seventh books are _not_ dead). Cardcaptor Sakura is canon all the way, but has her starting capturing cards at a younger age (ten) – she is eleven at the start of this fic (which will mean she has just finished capturing and converting the cards), and Sakura and Syaoran do not have feelings for each other. Yuugi-ou is canon through Millennium World. _

_Key differences include Atem and Bakura gaining bodies despite Atem losing the ceremonial duel, Mokuba being much younger (he is also eleven when this story starts), and a general screw-over of several characters. For the purposes of this story, Tomoyo and Mokuba have magic. Yuugi, Atem, Bakura, and Ryou have magic, but it did not actually manifest until after they received the Items. Harry and Ginny are married, as are Ron and Hermione – Scorpius, Rose, and James Sirius exist, but anyone younger than them do not (they are twelve at the start of this story). This story subscribes to the idea that a wizard will live at least triple the life expectancy of a muggle. _

_And no, the listed pairings will not change. I'm up to suggestions on anyone else, so long as I can fit it into the plot. The plot does not revolve around pairings, however, and should not pose too much of an issue. This is in the Yuugi-ou category because they are the main focus of the story. That does not mean I will purposefully neglect any other group and, while I have personal favorite characters, I will try to slight no one. For the most part I'm mixing anime and manga references._

_Italicized words represent thoughts unless they're in Japanese. Foreign words will be italicized as well._

'…' _represents telepathic communication.  
_"…" _(non-italicized) represent spoken words.  
__Any necessary translations will be at the end of each chapter. Don't expect chapters of this length all the time, either._

* * *

**Chapter 1: **_Dreams and Visions_

Curls of black mist crawled over his legs and up his torso, twining down around his arms and falling gently from the crimson spikes of his multi-colored hair. To most anyone else in such a situation these dark shadows would have been cause for panic and fear, but for the once-pharaoh, Atem, it was not a cause for alarm. At least, under _normal _circumstances, meditating to monitor the realm of shadows was no reason to worry.

Having been imprisoned in shadows for three millennia, give or take a few decades, and having been the one to seal those shadows away that many years ago, Atem had the most control of the magic that abounded in this place. The tomb robber probably had decent control, too, given that he'd been sealed into one of the items as well, but Atem tended to avoid thinking of the being who had taken the name "Bakura". The others thought the spirit of the _Sennen _Ring was reformed, if mischievous, but the day Atem became, dare he think it, _friends_ with the other spirit who had recently gained a body would be the day Kaiba Seto decided to hand out donations and set up charity cases willingly and with a smile.

When the Shadow Realm was its normal self, shards of color flicking randomly and swirls of shadow monster essence curling languidly about, Atem had no need to fear it, for the power was controllable by will, and Atem's was made of pure iron. But for almost twelve years now Atem had noticed that the Shadow Realm felt strange, somehow darker and a little more malevolent than it should have been. He had been unsure while still borrowing his partner's body but, once the gods had granted him and, regrettably, Bakura their own bodies he had been more in tune with the realm he had been imprisoned in with only the shattered _Sennen _Puzzle for a link back to the living world.

He couldn't really explain what he meant by malevolent, not even to his partner, whom he shared the closest bond with, but the others knew not to question he-who-had-once-been-pharaoh without a reason. They were all friends (even if it was a prickly sort of friendship where Kaiba was concerned) but there was no denying that Atem had definitely possessed the will (Bakura called it _arrogance_) of a pharaoh if his occasional bouts of headstrong attitude were anything to go on. He had been monitoring the realm for several years now in between going to college with his partner – both had decided to pursue degrees – and the shadows had grown increasingly restless. Unsurprisingly, given his late grandfather's occupation, Atem's former host chose history and archaeology to study and teach while Atem decided to study dead languages and apply that aptitude to translation for various museums around the world.

With a small from Atem realized that he was allowing his mind to drift again, which seemed to happen whenever his partner managed to sneak into his thoughts. When that happened Atem knew it was time to end his meditations for the time being, for concentration was extremely important for even him to survive in this realm, power or no power.

Opening his claret eyes Atem drew a soft, almost annoyed breath as he drove a hand through his spiked hair and blew his blonde bangs from his face. Well, another session, another failed attempt at locating whatever it was that had offset the balance of the shadows. All he could say for certain was that it was growing in power. The idea of eventually having to face that darkness was not an appealing one, especially not after what had happened with Bakura's memory game and the resurrection of the dark god, Zorc Necrophades. He swore his essence still ached from that battle.

Atem knew there would be no sleep for him later on this night, which had been happening progressively more often as he had monitored the Shadow Realm over the years. His partner would not be pleased if he stayed up again... Reaching over, he clicked the light to his bedside lamp on and placed his feet on the floor, sighing faintly. Like his partner, Atem was not the tallest individual around (especially when compared to the former High Priest), and he was always reminded of his lack of height when his feet barely pressed flat to the floor. Tiredly he let his crimson gaze sweep his room, taking in the neatness. His partner had been notoriously messy back when he and Atem still shared a body but it seemed that trait did not carry over to Atem now that they were separate people.

Speaking of his partner…

There was no movement in the apartment but Atem expected that would change once his partner came home from his recent excavation, which – Atem glanced at his digital clock for confirmation – should be in another hour if not a little earlier. Atem opened his curtains and window to allow the dying sunlight to filter into his room, leaning casually on the ledge with a small frown. Though it was easier for him to meditate at night, knowing his partner would be home this evening Atem had purchased ingredients for dinner so that he could have a meal ready as a small surprise.

Like Bakura and Ryou, Atem and Yuugi lived together and Atem still thought of him as his partner, or _aibou_. Both he and Yuugi were in their late twenties and yet neither of them had really found anyone to settle with in a romantic sense. They were best friends, he and Yuugi, and it was easier financially to share a fairly nice two-bedroom apartment, not to mention less lonely, especially since everyone seemed to have paired up when Yuugi and Atem weren't paying attention. Kaiba had finally stopped being an idiot and gotten together with Jounouchi; Anzu was in America living out her dream of being a dancer with her boyfriend Otogi; and Honda had finally gotten together with Shizuka, Jounouchi's honey-sweet little sister.

Anzu regularly sent letters to all of her friends in Domino City, usually with a post script by Otogi, who was usually too busy – he'd taken over Industrial Illusions with Pegasus' retirement – to write up his own letter. Jounouchi teamed up with Mokuba, Kaiba's younger brother, to convince him to invite Yuugi and Atem to the Kaiba estates for dinner regularly, and Honda and Shizuka had made Yuugi and Atem godparents to their just-born child, so their friendship circle had never really waned. Atem could almost enjoy this second chance at life if not for the Shadow Realm acting up. It was a sign of a storm brewing but nothing he did seemed to dissipate it.

Knowing there was nothing else he could do for now, Atem walked around the apartment opening curtains, blinds, and windows to tempt in a late summer's evening breeze. This was easier due to their location on the second floor – as there was less blocking the air flow than on the ground floor – and Yuugi was partial to fresh air and warm sunshine. Atem had already cleaned up the apartment and even ventured into Yuugi's room to pick the clothes up off the floor and throw them in the laundry. Knowing that putting folded clothes on Yuugi's bed would only result in them being shoved under the bed and forgotten, he had also put them away, hanging up what should be hung up even as he smiled fondly at the unmade bed and messy desk. The one he had once referred to as _Mou Hitori no Ore _really was like a child if one didn't truly know him.

With the apartment clean and open to the air and sun Atem lit one of the aromatic candles Yuugi was so fond of and began to prepare dinner, mind still on his little _hikari_. It really was amazing how well Yuugi was able to slip into every aspect of his life, but Atem wasn't complaining. He cared greatly for the one who had set him free and accepted him into his body without complaint. It was the least he could do to have Yuugi come home to a welcoming apartment.

* * *

"_Tadaima_!" Mouto Yuugi announced as he closed the door and casually tossed his restricting suit jacket and tie over the rack by the door. He sniffed the air curiously as he stepped out of his shoes and slipped his feet into his slippers to proceed further into the apartment. "Wow, Atem, you cooked?" he teased – he and Atem had long since dropped addressing each other with honorifics – as he dropped his keys on the counter and proceeded down the hall to drop his briefcase off in his room. "_And_ cleaned?" he added in mock surprise, seeing his room and smiling.

He padded back down the hallway to the small dining room adjoining the kitchen where, to Yuugi's surprise, Atem was finishing the icing on a cake. He glanced up at Yuugi, smiled his amusement, and put aside his spoon.

"_Okaeri_, _Aibou_," he greeted. Yuugi snickered faintly, drawing a blank stare from Atem. Yuugi picked up a cloth and moved over to his housemate, reaching up.

"You have chocolate on your nose, Atem," he informed Atem with a grin as he wiped the smear off his partner's golden skin. "You always make a mess when you cook," he added, "though it's usually only on you." This was true enough: Atem normally kept the kitchen clean while he cooked but tended to end up with all sorts of food on his apron. Atem gave Yuugi an overdramatic frown.

"I take the time to cook you dinner _and_ make you dessert and all you do is make fun of me?" he demanded, crossing his arms and looking highly affronted. As he'd expected Yuugi only grinned affirmation and put the towel down. For some reason Yuugi was not one to be affected by Atem's regal attempts, though it worked both ways because Yuugi's (what Kaiba had dryly termed) "eyes of doom" only worked on Atem half the time. Kaiba often complained that it wasn't fair because Mokuba, apparently, was a master of the eyes of doom as well and whenever they wanted something Mokuba and Yuugi would gang up on him and he'd find it impossible to say "no".

"I wasn't making fun of you," Yuugi replied innocently, violet gaze amused. "But you can't deny that you somehow manage to have whatever you're making all over your apron by the time you finish," he added, gesturing to the sand-colored apron Yuugi had bought Atem which was smudged with not only chocolate but also soy sauce and a few other stains that Yuugi didn't care to analyze. He ducked the playful swipe Atem aimed at him and allowed his _yami _to shoo him out of the kitchen and back into the dining room where the food still sat patiently, covered to stay warm.

"All right, _Aibou, _I get it. I am not the neatest cook in Japan. Since you have made your point, please go wash your hands so we can eat." He smirked at the mild pout Yuugi gave him in reply, knowing that his words had the general effect of a mother scolding her son and not feeling repentant at all. Huffing theatrically, Yuugi flounced comically off to do as Atem instructed, taking the time to change into a more comfortable pair of leather pants and a plain white shirt. He'd need a bath later, but trying to eat dinner in that uncomfortable suit would put off Yuugi's appetite. Now he knew why Seto detested the business meetings where he was required to wear a suit rather than his usual flowing white coat.

When Yuugi came back, this time stifling a yawn, Atem was already seated and was in the process of serving food. He placed a bowl of rice down next to a plate of tuna _sashimi_, _sunomono_, and _yamoto_. Yuugi smoothed a grin from his lips; Atem had been a terrible cook when he'd first tried it but Yuugi had eaten his meals anyway. Atem wouldn't be opening any high-class restaurants anytime soon but he had definitely improved enough for Yuugi to be looking forward to a meal that wasn't packed in a station _bento_ or eaten standing up at an excavation site.

"It looks delicious, Atem," he said, eyes dancing wickedly when Atem smiled a little mistily, obviously remembering the same things about his first cooking attempts as Yuugi. "_Itadakimasu_!" he chimed with Atem, picking up his chopstick case and pulling out what had been a gift from Atem, a pair of pale purple chopsticks to compliment the set of red ones he had given Atem. They ate in amiable silence for several moments before Yuugi broke it with a question. "…how did it go today?" Atem would know Yuugi was not asking about work, seeing as how today was Atem's off day. Atem paused, a clump of rice halfway to his lips, and lowered it back to the bowl with a small sigh. Yuugi immediately regretted bringing the subject up over dinner.

"It was the same as ever," Atem replied with a small sigh. "I was not able to pinpoint the precise location of whatever it is in the Shadow Realm that disturbs it so. I could not even try to disperse some of my power in an effort to at least inhibit the growth of such malevolence. It is…disheartening, _Aibou_. I am supposed to protect this world in my new life, but I feel that I can do nothing to prevent this." Yuugi reached across the table and brushed his fingers over the fist Atem had unconsciously clenched on top of the table. His partner looked up in surprise, his ruby gaze meeting Yuugi's sympathetic lavender stare.

"We'll get through this, Atem, just like we always have. I know I'm not as strong as you when it comes to the Shadow Realm…" His mind went back to that fateful duel on Pegasus J. Crawford's island, when the man had pulled their duel into the Shadow Realm and Yuugi had come very close to dying. "But everything will definitely be all right. We just have to believe that it will be." He waited until Atem finally inclined his head just slightly in reluctant agreement before drawing his hand back to his side of the table and finishing his tuna _sashimi_, pointedly staring at Atem until he, too, picked up his chopsticks. Yuugi knew Atem wasn't sleeping well – he wasn't going to let his partner add malnourishment to the equation.

"Perhaps we should contact Ryou and the tomb robber anyway, though," Atem said finally, surprising Yuugi a little that Atem would openly contemplate asking Bakura and Ryou for assistance. In the end he nodded his concurrence.

* * *

Kaiba Seto did not want to believe in magic. In fact, he had tried for nearly four years to deny its existence but there simply was no other explanation for all the weird crap that happened around Mouto and his friends – or, rather, around the _Sennen_ Items, one of which he now possessed. Kaiba had not wanted to accept the _Sennen_ Rod from Yuugi when the lilac-eyed youth had offered it to him, but those _damned eyes_ of his were too difficult to deny. Damn it all to hell.

He couldn't deny that magic existed. First Mokuba's, then his, soul had been stolen by Pegasus. Then there was that psychotic Malik, who's Item – the Rod, incidentally – had helped spawn an evil personality that had only dissipated when Yuugi – or, rather, Atem – had defeated him. Then there was Dartz and the Duel Monsters that suddenly existed beyond Seto's gaming board holograms, and finally there was the duel between Yuugi and Atem – Seto still couldn't believe that Yuugi had won – and the awful power of the voice of Ra, he who had given Atem and Bakura their own bodies. Seto did not want to believe in magic. His extensive knowledge of physics and mathematical formulae, however, refused to give him any other explanations as to what had happened.

And now there was this. If it had come only a few years earlier Seto would have dismissed this as a very poor attempt at a joke but there was no denying the tawny owl sitting on his desk fluffing its wings or the heavy parchment envelope he was currently staring at.

_Mr. Mokuba Kaiba  
__The West Wing Room Decorated in Blue and Gold  
__Kaiba Manor  
__Domino City, Japan_

Who the hell addressed a letter like that? For that matter, who wrote it on parchment and had an _owl_ of all things deliver it? Seto read through the letter for the fourth time in ten minutes before turning to the other letter the owl – he was still trying to decide why it was an _owl_ of all things bringing this to him – had brought. It was addressed similarly, though it bore his name rather than Mokuba's and his room was described as "The West Wing Room Decorated in Blue and White"

The content of the two letters was also different. Drumming his fingers on his mahogany desk for a moment, debating the pros and cons of what his mind was suggesting he do, Seto finally huffed his annoyance and pulled out a wafer-thin cell phone, hitting a speed dial with a scowl and waiting for someone to answer the phone. It picked up on the fourth ring.

"Ah, Atem, hold on a second and let me answer the phone!" Despite the entirely inappropriate way the speaker answered the phone Seto found a smile threatening to overpower his scowl. It was hard not to smile when Yuugi was around, just as it was difficult to avoid being competitive around Atem. "Ah, _hai, moshi, moshi_?" Yuugi answered finally, sounding out of breath. Seto shook his head, even though he knew Yuugi could not see him.

"Yuugi," he said by way of greeting. "I need you to gather Ryou, Bakura, and Atem and come over to my mansion later on tonight at seven o'clock," he informed the shorter duelist without preamble. There was a light, almost airy chuckle on the other end.

"Presumptuous as ever, Seto-_san_." Yuugi had long since received permission from the CEO to call him by his first name but, though they had been friends for over ten years, Yuugi always kept that honorific on his name. Seto didn't take it personally. The only person whose name Yuugi didn't add an honorific to was Atem. "All right. You're lucky Atem and I have today off and that Bakura and Ryou don't usually work evenings," he remarked before pausing and then adding, "Then again, knowing you, Seto-_san_, you probably knew that before you called. May I ask the reason behind this invitation?"

"Call it a dinner date, if you want. I need to talk to all of you but I would never be callous enough to call you and then not feed you," Seto replied, sounding almost testy that Yuugi had to question his motives. There was another warm giggle.

"I only meant that we wouldn't want to be unprepared for any – _Atem_?! What is _that_?" There was silence on Yuugi's end of the phone before he spoke again, this time to Seto and voice sounding rather harried. "Ah, Seto-_san_, I have to go. I will definitely make sure to be on time, okay?" Seto was slightly mollified by the fact that Yuugi waited for him to reply before hanging up, leaving the CEO to stare bemusedly at his cell phone before shaking his head and making another call, this one to his younger brother.

* * *

Ryou hung up the phone with a puzzled expression on his pale, delicate features. His confusion must have transferred through the mind link he still shared with his darker half, for the spirit of the _Sennen _Ring – self-dubbed "Bakura" – poked his head out of the bathroom where he was washing his hands.

"What?" he demanded, sounding almost cross. Ryou smiled faintly through his confusion, knowing that Bakura had not been happy to be denied lunch until he washed his hands. Before he and Bakura had started to get along Ryou might have feared for his safety for denying the spirit anything but now he knew Bakura wouldn't do anything too bad to him – though he might be angry enough to lapse into rather creative Ancient Egyptian cursing – and Ryou knew that all he had to do to keep Bakura in line was threaten to withhold sex. Even after five years of being together the threat worked.

"Ah, Yuugi-_kun_ called to tell us that Kaiba-_san_ has invited us to his mansion for dinner tonight at seven. He sounded a little strange over the phone, though."

Bakura rolled his eyes and went back to washing his hands, his head of snowy hair vanishing back into the bathroom. _'You're sure it wasn't the pharaoh you were talking to this time?'_ he sent to his former host, smirking when he felt Ryou's amusement and resignation travel through their mind link. At one point Ryou had trouble distinguishing between Yuugi and Atem over the phone, something that it seemed Bakura would never let him live down.

'_No, Bakura… And Atem-_kun_ has a name, you know. You could try addressing him by it.'_ Ryou was unsurprised when Bakura replied with a comment suggesting that Atem's mother had done something extremely unlikely with a jackal, which Ryou ignored.

'_And if I called his highness by his name I'd never hear the end of it. Plus, he'd probably think I really _had_ gone insane. There are some truths to the world that you just should not try to change, _hikari _mine,' _Bakura finished. Ryou shook his head but knew better than to pursue the topic any further.

"Yuugi-_kun_ said it was just a dinner invitation, but that Kaiba-_san_ wanted to talk to us, too. I wonder if some – _yeek!_" It was a decidedly un-masculine sound, Ryou would decide later, but it suited the fact that something large and brown had just swooped into their house through the open window. Bakura came out of the bathroom, drying his hands on his shirt. Ryou was too occupied to remind him of the use of towels.

"What are you yelling about?" Bakura began, sounding irate again, only to stop and blink as the brown thing left again, leaving Ryou to pick up the letters it had left behind. Ryou stared at the letter.

"I think I should be worried about the fact that an owl just flew in through the window in broad daylight, but I'm more concerned with this," Ryou murmured, examining the heavy parchment envelope. "What an odd way to address a letter!" he exclaimed, noting the vivid violet ink and the lack of a return address. Tired of being ignored, Bakura came over to read over his _hikari_'s shoulder. To his surprise Ryou handed him one of the letters. "That one is addressed to you," he informed Bakura. Staring at the ink, Bakura found that his former host was correct.

_Mr. Bakura  
__The Master Bedroom  
__Domino City, Japan_

"I know it's only been ten years since I started living in this time but I don't think I've ever seen you get letters like this," Bakura remarked, noting the thickness of the envelope and the faint yellow tinge to it. "I'd almost call it papyrus except, well, its not. It certainly isn't the paper you usually use." Bakura was clearly confused. Ryou, however, had opened he envelope and was reading the contents, his surprise flowing through the link he shared with his _yami_. Without warning he snatched the letter from Bakura and read it, too.

"They're the same, mostly," he mused out loud, not protesting when Bakura grabbed his letter back. "I guess we'll definitely not want to be late to Kaiba-_san_'s tonight." For once Bakura made no protest about spending the evening with "that damned priest" and "his royal-pain-in-my-ass".

* * *

It was something of a surprise when Kaiba Seto came down to greet them. Usually it was Mokuba – with his brother's permission, of course – or Jounouchi who extended the invitations and even then a butler usually showed them to wherever Seto was waiting. All four – Yuugi, Atem, Ryou, Bakura – exchanged surprised glances, though Bakura and Atem had to lay off the glaring contest for a few moments to do so.

"Konbanwa, Seto-_san_," Yuugi greeted, breaking the silence first. Being the one that Seto could tolerate most, Seto nodded to Yuugi and repeated the greeting with his usual coolness, gesturing and inviting them to follow him.

"Mokuba and the pup are already in the dining room. We'll talk after dinner," he said simply. Only Yuugi was daring enough to protest, since Seto had called them to talk to them, but Seto only shook his head. "After dinner," he said firmly, suppressing the urge to smile when Yuugi sighed in resignation.

Dinner at the Kaibas' was always an interesting affair, particularly because Seto was partial to Western cuisine over traditional Japanese dinner foods. He also knew precisely what everyone liked. The first course was salad for Yuugi and Ryou and soup for Atem and Jounouchi, who did not care for too many vegetables. Knowing that Bakura preferred meat over anything else, but not wanting to ruin the main course, there was a small portion of beef tips for him to eat. The main course was a New York Strip – rare for Bakura, medium well for everyone else – marinated in Asian sauces, something that everyone could appreciate, with potatoes – mashed for Ryou, fried for Yuugi and Jounouchi, and baked for Bakura and Atem – and broccoli that neither Atem nor Bakura touched.

Yuugi produced a cake for dessert, to Seto's barely-concealed surprise, and they had that and coffee and made polite conversation. Only after everyone was finished nibbling did Seto have everyone adjourn to a smaller side room.

"Maybe it will seem pointless to you all," he began, rummaging in the study's desk for something as he spoke, "but I received something in the, ah, mail earlier today that I was hoping someone could explain to me, given that your four are the one's with magical knowledge." He produced the two envelopes – Mokuba had read his, but had left it with Seto for safe keeping – and watched with faint amusement as everyone in the room went stiff with shock. He had expected that reaction. He had not, however, expected the _yami_ to glance at their _hikari_ and vice versa before all four pulled similar letters from their pockets.

"I do not think this is so pointless, Kaiba," Atem remarked, noting the letters that Bakura and Ryou held. Atem and Bakura were the only two people who addressed Seto without honorifics, Bakura because he didn't care to address anyone with them and Atem because he and Seto were and would always be rivals, even if the CEO had yet to defeat him in a duel.

Before anyone else could speak – though Jounouchi had already opened his mouth to do so – there was a knock at the study door. Seto's brow furrowed as he crossed the room to open the door, listening quietly as his housekeeper explained that there was a guest at the door. At any other time he would have had the person sent away but the letter had stated such a guest would arrive at precisely half past eight. To the housekeeper's surprise her employer informed her to show the guest to the study. While she left to do as he ordered he turned back to see his guests watching him.

"I called you all because one of the letters I received asked me to do so in an effort to help explain the other one. Apparently, according to the letter addressed to Mokuba, he is" Seto's lips twisted faintly here and Jounouchi frowned at his lover's hardheaded personality "a wizard, and has been invited to study at some sort of boarding school in Scotland."

"Mine and Atem's said something about wanting our help and to accept your invitation tonight," Yuugi remarked. "It was a little strange because an owl delivered it almost right after you finished inviting us to dinner." Seto and Ryou remembered how oddly Yuugi had sounded on the phone. There was another knock on the door. Seto opened it and, getting a good look at his guest, stepped back automatically.

"_Konbanwa_, _minna-san_," the man said cheerily, peering over half-moon spectacles perched on a nose that looked like it might have been broken – perhaps more than once – in his youth. He spoke Japanese fluently though it was clear it wasn't his native language. "My name is Albus Dumbledore. I'm pleased to see everyone got their letters! May I come in?" he addressed Seto, who seemed to recover his manners and gestured for the old man to do so. Inwardly Seto lamented the days when his life was simple – or at least magic-free.

"Please sit down," Seto murmured to Dumbledore, sitting after the man did. Blue eyes twinkled at everyone in the room before settling on Mokuba. Dumbledore smiled and, instinctively, Mokuba smiled back shyly.

"You must be Mokuba Kaiba-_san_. I trust you were able to read your letter?" Mokuba nodded. "First, let me assure you that it is no joke…"

* * *

If anyone had told him years ago, even _after_ he had been forced to believe in magic, that he was going to be teaching at a school full of _witches _and _wizards_, Kaiba Seto would not have bothered with the police – he would have had that person committed to a mental institute in a heartbeat and dismissed the words as lunatic ravings.

As it turned out, Mokuba was not the only one being invited to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which Albus Dumbledore introduced himself as the headmaster. Mokuba was being invited as a student but Dumbledore was also in need of four teachers and a new caretaker and had been informed by magical means that the best people for those jobs happened to all live here in Domino City and, in another stroke of luck, happened to know each other.

To Seto the headmaster offered the job of Arithmancy, knowing already, somehow, that Seto was not one to openly practice his awakened magic. Arithmancy would give him a subject to teach that was more theoretical than practical while also allowing the older Kaiba to stay close to his younger brother. It was decided the Jounouchi – who had displayed a surprising talent for marketing and arithmetic – would take over Seto's place in the company while they were gone. It was a mark of deep trust that Seto would leave his company to Jounouchi, husband of five years or not, and Dumbledore promised to charm Seto's computer so that the CEO could keep up with his company.

For Yuugi, who was already into history and archaeology, Dumbledore offered the job of the History of Magic teacher, promising that there was a very good bookstore where Yuugi could find books to relate to his subject, as well as an extensive archive in the school library. His last teacher, the headmaster explained almost wryly, had finally decided to retire from teaching. Yuugi thought this over for several moments before giving his assent, though he knew it would be difficult to both teach and learn a course at the same time. To that end Dumbledore produced a thick book for Yuugi to read to familiarize himself somewhat with the subject. Yuugi would have started reading it immediately had Atem not taken it from him so that he wouldn't miss the rest of the conversation.

Dumbledore knew of Atem's affinity with languages of all kinds, though he didn't say how, and told the _yami_ that the Ancient Runes teacher had decided to travel, which left him short yet another staff member. He also mentioned that he wouldn't mind if Atem incorporated languages into the class rather than simply focusing on ancient runes. Though he seemed a little apprehensive to be teaching a class without any experience with modern children Atem, too, finally agreed, mostly because he did not wish to be parted from Yuugi.

Out of the new teachers Ryou was the only one to show true excitement when Dumbledore mentioned that his Divination teacher had decided to retire from teaching to work elsewhere. For someone like Ryou, who loved the occult and anything to do with it, such a subject was definitely something he would enjoy. Dumbledore mentioned that the classes were split with another teacher, which only thrilled Ryou more – he would love to swap methods. Bakura glanced at his former host, took in his excitement, and shook his head, hiding a faint smile behind his typical scowl.

Bakura stated flatly right off that he would not let Ryou go alone but that he would definitely not be a teacher. To the _yami_'s annoyance nearly everyone spoke up as if on cue to deny Bakura any teaching position. This seemed to amuse Dumbledore, who smiled and told Bakura that he didn't need another teacher but that the castle required a new caretaker, as Mr. Filch had grown weary of children and handed in his resignation. From his expression it was clear that Bakura was going to refuse until Dumbledore mentioned that the castle had secret exits and various hallways, corridors, and rooms that students seemed to have a knack to find. At the mention of snooping Bakura was interested and the prospect of scaring children into following the rules clinched it. Bakura, too, would be going to Hogwarts.

"There is a school list enclosed with Mokuba-_san_'s letter. The booklist is missing Arithmancy, Divination, History, and Ancient Runes books since you four have obviously not decided on them yet. I will send Hagrid to you on the twenty-eighth of this month so that he can take you to Diagon Ally. Once you know what books you would like to select for your curriculums I will have Flourish and Blott's order enough books for the students and have them sent to the castle by express."

Mokuba would have to stay at some place called "The Leaky Cauldron" for the four days after that until the start of term but Yuugi, Atem, Bakura, Ryou, and Seto would need to be at the castle at the end of that day so that they could set up their classrooms, learn the castle, and begin work on lesson plans. The students would reimburse the teachers for the books and Dumbledore would make sure that money made it to Flourish and Blott's.

With everything taken care of, for the moment, Dumbledore bowed to the room.

"I will see you all in two weeks time, then." With that last comment the old man took his leave, allowing the new teachers and student to absorb what had just happened. Unsurprisingly, it was Jounouchi who broke the silence first with a loud bark of laughter.

"Seto teachin' kids? I never though I'd live ta see the day!"

* * *

Where was she that it was so dark? She knew she was dreaming simply because she knew, with complete certainty, that she was definitely not awake. It didn't have the same feeling of being in The Dream's hold but, even so, somehow Kinomoto Sakura knew that whatever was going to happen would be important. With that in mind she turned her awareness outward to her surroundings, noting only distantly that she was dressed in her pajamas and her Star Staff was already grasped in one hand.

Despite her attention now being on the darkness around her she could discern nothing in the blackness beyond that it felt somehow disconnected from the world in a way that even dreams were not. Staring around, jade gaze confused, she noticed that the darkness wasn't as black as she had initially thought, for there were shards of reds, violets, grays, and even hints of yellow becoming visible. Dream or not, true blackness or not, Sakura was afraid now, more afraid than she had ever been. The feeling here was distinctly evil, suffocating and overpowering even as it held a sense of completely wrongness.

Sakura had never dealt with true evil before. The Cards were not evil. They were magical and occasionally mischievous, even after she had written her name on them and later converted them to Sakura Cards, but they were not malignant. Even The Void had not felt like this. Eriol had not been evil, either – only secretive and almost a little infuriatingly smug.

But this…

Somehow Sakura knew it wasn't supposed to be like this here. The feeling of wrongness nearly quadrupled with that realization and Sakura instinctively shrank back. She had not taken a single step since becoming aware of this place. This place was separate, an area all its own that was not a part of the world, and yet she knew, somehow, that something was here that definitely did not belong. She had never been here in this place where chill seeped into her very bones, gray mist curling all over the ground, but she knew… In the way that Sakura was always attuned to her surroundings, she knew something was dangerously out of place here.

Why was she here? She did not like being here, not at all. It was a place that she knew she could not flourish in and that, like a plant left too long without sun and water, she would soon shrivel and die. Even her magic felt strained. Kero and Yue told her that she was powerful. She had to be, to control the Cards. Even with her power, though, she knew that whatever was here, she could not fight it, not alone.

As though that thought had been a key to escape, the realm around her suddenly vanished; or, rather, _she_ began to dissipate into the air, her staff resuming key form and her essence finally escaping this place that she so longed to escape. She thought perhaps she might be returning to the conscious world but knew only moments – or minutes? Or hours? Time seemed to flow strangely here – later that she was still asleep.

It had ceased feeling so much like a dream and shifted to that feeling of when she'd used The Return's power to go back in time. She felt like an observer here, though, and not an active participant. She was also floating in the air, peering down at something below. There were people gathered in a circle, thirteen perhaps, and they were all surrounding what could only be classified as a creature of pure darkness and malice, of pure evil and hatred. It sent a shiver through Sakura and she almost turned away from the scene. Only a feeling that she needed to see this kept her terrified gaze on the happenings below.

Gold shone on seven of the people in the circle, though she could not see the shapes of what they wore, or even what the shadowed people looked like. She felt magic from them, though, magic that was both foreign and powerful and ancient in nature. With nothing else to go on, though, all she could tell otherwise was that the people in this circle varied in size.

Two figures here bore swords; two bore long staffs; one a long bow; and the last bore something that shone silver. Any detail on any of these items escaped Sakura, but all were infused with magic that, not unlike the seven golden items, was extremely powerful.

One of the figures – one of the two holding a staff – raised the magical item. Sakura felt as though she should know that person, the magic felt so familiar, but there was something different about it, and undertone that she was not familiar with, making it feel too unusual for her to consciously recognize. She had brushed that power only once before and, whatever it was, whoever that person was, eluded her. Presumably there was an incantation involved here, for the twelve other items were glowing even more brilliantly and a large golden circle had encompassed all, including the screeching, howling blackness that was clearly the enemy.

Only when this whole picture had been completely observed – strange realm, magical circle, and evil being – did her surroundings rust away into nothingness.

* * *

Sakura sat up with a gasp, perspiration beaded on her forehead and sticking her nightgown to her chest. A quick grope for her clock and applying pressure on the button to make it light up confirmed the time to be shortly after four in the morning. Despite the early hour, Sakura now found that she could not sleep. She ran a hand through her sweaty brunette hair, trying to calm her erratic breathing.

Kero-_chan_ would scold her for this later, she knew, but she could not remember her dreams now that she was awake. She knew only that they – it? – had not been good. If anything, it had been definitely, decidedly _bad_, in a way that she could not ever recall having experienced before, not even when that Chinese sorceress had lured her into that alternate realm, thinking Sakura was Clow Reed because of her ties to the then-Clow Cards.

Clearly deep, calming breaths were not helping right now. Brow furrowed in annoyance, Sakura reached up to the head of her bed. Her fingers slid along the wood for a moment before coming into contact with a rectangular plastic object – her cell phone. Tomoyo had given it to her from her mother's company halfway though her transforming of the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards. Now Sakura hit the speed dial and listened to the phone ring, hoping that the person she was trying to reach would be awake. Then again, where it was four in the morning here, it was seven in the morning there, and hopefully the hour wasn't quite so ungodly. The phone picked up on the second ring and a deep, masculine voice spoke up.

"_Moshi, moshi_, Sakura-_san_."

Despite her fear Sakura felt a small smile grace her lips. Eriol _would_ know that it was her calling and answer in Japanese.

"Eriol-_kun_…" Now that she had him on the phone, she was unsure of where to start. What exactly should she say now? _I had a nightmare?_ Somehow that sounded childish, even for someone only eleven years old, and Sakura had not considered herself an average pre-teen ever since she'd begun to collect the magical cards she'd accidentally freed. "Is everything all right?" she asked finally. With anyone else she would worry about being too vague; never with Eriol. As predicted, when he spoke again his voice was completely serious.

"Your dreams are troubled too, aren't they Sakura-_san_?" Even over the phone his voice resonated with the same calm magical aura Sakura had learned to associate with the great sorcerer Clow Reed. "I had suspected something like this would happen, especially to you… You were able to predict my coming through your dreams, and my darling relative's arrival, and even the Book. This was too large for you to miss…Your pre-cognition really has become stronger…"

"What's going on, Eriol-_kun_? I can't remember anything about my dream. Only that it was dark, and cold… And there were people in it, thirteen I think, and something… Something horrible, Eriol-_kun_!" In contrast to Eriol's calm demeanor, Sakura sounded almost hysterical.

"I'm not sure," Eriol replied after a long enough silence for Sakura to think they might have been disconnected. "Like you, I seem to have trouble recalling my dreams lately, and my readings and attempts at scrying turn up nothing definitive. Then again, I was never as gifted as some in the areas of scrying, only fortune-telling." There was a sigh and Sakura sucked in a breath, shocked. For Eriol to actually sigh, something had to be wrong – at least when he was in his serious-sorcerer mode.

"I can't say for certain what's going on, Sakura-_san_… But…" And then, almost completely off topic, "You turned eleven this past April, yes?" Sakura stared at her cell phone, wondering where on Earth this tangent had come from.

"…Yes… April first was my birthday… You wished me "Happy Birthday" over the phone four and a half months ago," she reminded her friend and, though she wouldn't admit it if Syaoran was in earshot, mentor. "Is that relevant, Eriol-_kun_?" she asked finally, delicately. There was a warm chuckle from the older sorcerer.

"Actually, Sakura-_san_, it is… You should get something in the mail soon. Give it serious thought, all right? I think it may be important." Even though Eriol hadn't really answered any of her questions, talking to him had somehow managed to calm her down enough for Sakura to understand that he was ready to end the call. She smiled in spite of herself – Eriol had never been a morning person.

"Okay, Eriol-_kun_. I'm sorry to have woken you so early, but thank you for helping. I feel much better now." They exchanged goodbyes and Sakura ended the call, staring at the cell phone in her lap thoughtfully. Something in the mail for her…? How would that clear anything up? Sakura made a slightly annoyed face and put both alarm clock and cell phone back in their place as she settled back down to sleep. Eriol was too much a "mystical mage" sometimes. She knew he enjoyed surprising people – this would probably be one of those times.

* * *

A week later found the answer to Sakura's ponderings. Cerberus – Kero-_chan_ for short – had noticed his mistress' oddly thoughtful countenance increasing by the day, but any inquiries as to what was the matter were met with a smile and an assurance that nothing was wrong. Though it was frustrating to the not-always-small creature, Kero could not and would not pry into his mistress' thoughts. She would tell him what was wrong when she was ready and not a moment sooner.

It was Sunday, the only day of the week off from school, and both Sakura's older brother, Touya, and father, Fujitaka, were out at work and an archaeological dig, respectively. They would be home late tonight, which meant that Sakura had the house to herself and that she had all the chores. A year ago it would have meant that Kero was allowed to roam the house but, shortly after converting all the Clow Cards to Sakura Cards (the upgraded name courtesy of Sakura's best friend Tomoyo) Sakura had mustered up the courage to tell her brother and father what she had been doing, though Touya already had most of the details, considering he'd given his power to Yue. This had involved introducing Kero and Yue, which had involved explaining about Clow Reed, which had brought up a whole slew of other questions. To her surprise and relief her family seemed perfectly all right with Sakura being a sorceress.

Sakura was flicking a feather duster over the valance at the largest window in the living room when something fluttered directly up to the window, perched on the ledge, and began pecking lightly at the glass with the air of one used to doing such things. Sakura did the first thing instinct suggested she do – she screeched. The sound immediately drew Kero into the living room from where he had been about to start the washer, his form changing from that of a small, winged, golden bear to a winged lion that was large enough for Sakura to ride upon.

"What is it?!" he exclaimed, glancing about for any signs of danger. Sakura pointed at the window, voice temporarily robbed with her mild fright. Kero took a single look before rolling his golden eyes. "Honestly, Sakura… It's just an _owl_."

Now that the initial shock had worn off and Sakura actually _looked_ at the brown thing still patiently tapping on the glass she realized that it was, indeed, a plain brown owl. About to ask Kero what she should do about it, she noticed that there was something clasped in its beak. It looked like an envelope. Sakura blinked. She'd heard of carrier _pigeons_, but _owls_? Hesitantly she approached the window and opened it. Immediately the owl hopped inside and stuck out its head, clearly waiting for her to take the envelope. Sakura took it and looked around, gaze landing on the remains of the snack she had shared with Kero on the living room table. Retrieving a cookie, she offered it to the owl, who examined it intently before pecking at it delicately while Sakura turned to her letter.

Now that she was holding it she realized that it wasn't actual paper – it was much too heavy, smelled faintly musty, and was tinged a pale yellow. There was also something strange about the address – not only was it written in bright purple ink but the format was odd, and in English. Luckily the words were simple enough that Sakura could read them with only a little struggling. It read:

_Miss Sakura Kinomoto  
__The Westernmost Bedroom  
__Tomoeda, Japan_

Maybe it was from Eriol? He had hinted that there would be something coming in the mail for her, though this was certainly an unorthodox way for him to send anything. Even when he didn't use the regular postal system he would transport things directly to her, which had occasionally resulted in some interesting scenarios (namely involving Sakura and being in a public place). She had scolded Eriol enough that he usually sent things by way of the usual postal services unless he knew for certain that she was at home.

"What is it, Sakura?" Kero spoke up, startling her from her thoughtful reverie. She shook her head, turning the envelope over and working it open so that she could slide a sheaf of parchment out of it. About to tell Kero that she didn't quite know _what_ it was, the words died on her lips as she caught sight of the letter header, thankfully written in kanji.

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
__Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
__(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock,  
__Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards)_

_Hogwarts school of _what? Sakura thought, completely shocked by what she had just read. And what in _Kami-sama's_ name was a _Mugwump_? Hoping to make some sense of what she'd just read, Sakura went over the rest of the letter, also written in kanji.

_Dear Miss Kinomoto,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,_

(Here was signed a rather strict-looking signature)

_Minerva McGonagall  
__Deputy Headmistress_

Lowering the letter, Sakura sank onto the window ledge, hands dropping to her lap in sheer surprise. She didn't even notice that the still-in-true-form Kero was trying to get her attention. Finally he settled for nudging her palms with his head until she snapped out of her trance.

"Kero-_chan_?" she began weakly. There were at least a hundred questions swarming around in Sakura's mind. The first one she managed to articulate had Kero pause in surprise, not sure if he'd heard correctly.

"Say again?" he asked, his voice deceptively calm. Sakura cleared her throat and, after a moment of watching the owl flutter over to the table to peck at more cookies, she tried again.

"Do you know anything about a place called Hogwarts?" she asked, pronouncing the foreign name with only a little difficulty – it had been written in English, since it wasn't a word native to the Japanese language. Kero froze. Yes, that's what he thought she had said. He almost couldn't believe his ears. Since there was now no discernable danger, Kero reverted to his smaller form so that he could settle in the air, legs and arms crossed, in the pose he favored when about to start a lecture.

"I should have seen this coming," he admitted, surprising Sakura immensely. "Yes, I know about Hogwarts… In fact, Clow used to speak of Hogwarts. One of the headmasters of that school had been fond of going to Clow for advice even though he wasn't usually one to frequent the wizarding parts of the world." He scrutinized Sakura's face carefully; she did not look like she was about to freak out, so to speak, but rather like she was fascinated.

"You have a lot of magical power, especially since you now possess and are master of all of the Sakura Cards. I should have expected this to happen, though I'm surprised it was Hogwarts who scouted you. I'd have thought it would be the Imperial Sorcery Academy in China, or even that institute they have in America."

"So…it's a school… For what, exactly?" Sakura asked eventually after taking a moment to process this idea. Kero smiled faintly at his mistress. Perhaps it was a good thing she was still so young – the idea of a magical school was not one that she was about to begin ridiculing, in any case.

"For learning magic," Kero replied. "See, the _gaki_ (Kero still did not like Syaoran and would probably always refer to him as "_gaki_") was right when he told you that the Clow Cards – or Sakura Cards – are not the only things in the world with magic. It just happens that most of the magical community keeps to their respective cultures. Hogwarts is located in Scotland, which lies to the north of London in the United Kingdom. Prospective students receive letters like that one," he nodded to the letter Sakura still clutched like a lifeline, "and are instructed to respond. Clow always spoke very fondly of the school."

"Eriol knew this was coming," Sakura said when Kero finished. Kero's brows snapped together but, before he could ask what she meant, Sakura explained about her dreams a few nights ago and how she had called Eriol to discuss them, ending her monologue with Eriol's mysterious question on her age and how he had suggested she might receive something in the mail soon. Silence ensued in the room for several moments before Kero broke it again.

"Do you want to go?"

Before Sakura could answer, though, someone knocked on the door, startling both of them. The owl, nearly halfway through the plate of cookies and currently indulging in some lukewarm tea, only ruffled its feathers irately and settled back. Since the letter had stated that Sakura was to reply by the end of the month, she suspected this owl was waiting for her reply. Shaking her head, Sakura went to get the door. She was only mildly surprised to find Tomoyo standing there and wasted no time in inviting her best friend inside.

Tomoyo was her second cousin (her mother and Tomoyo's mother having been cousins), her classmate, and one of two people who Sakura had trusted with her secret, though since Syaoran had magic, too, she had never really considered it an issue of trust with the Chinese boy. Tomoyo's mother was the head of a very successful toy-and-electronics company, which made Tomoyo extremely wealthy but also very sweet. She had videotaped nearly all of Sakura's adventures and had also provided all of the brunette's "battle costumes". With gray-violet eyes and long black hair, Tomoyo was quietly pretty with an air of grace that made her seem all the more like a noblewoman of old.

Today she did not seem as composed as usual – in fact, she almost looked as though she wished to faint. Sakura hurriedly brewed some tea, ignoring the strange look Tomoyo gave the owl still resting on the table for the moment. Finally, cup of tea resting in her lap, Tomoyo looked over at Sakura.

"That owl… Did it, by any chance, bring you a strange letter, Sakura-_chan_?" she asked in her soft voice. Sakura started in surprise, nodding before she had really thought about it. Before she could ask how Tomoyo knew, the other girl held out an envelope that, like Sakura's, was written in purple ink on heavy parchment. It was addressed in the same odd fashion that Sakura's had been. Sakura looked at Kero and was surprised to find him scrutinizing Tomoyo thoughtfully.

"I knew I wasn't crazy," he said abruptly, surprising both girls. "Back when Yue had yet to show himself, I thought I felt power from you, Tomoyo. When you didn't show any signs of it, though, I was sure I'd been mistaken…but now that I have this letter and I really look at you, I can see it. You have magic, too! It's not as well trained as Sakura's, but maybe that's to be expected."

Silence settled over the room again, each occupant thinking their own thoughts. Once again it was Kero who broke the silence with "It's a good school. Do you want to go?" This time the question was directed at both girls. They exchanged glances.

"Mother will have to be told about you, Sakura-_chan_," Tomoyo remarked. "She will want proof that magic is real and that this is not some strange attempt at jest." Like her mannerisms, Tomoyo spoke extremely politely to everyone, including Sakura. "I am not certain she will allow this, especially since it is in Scotland, I believe I heard Kero-chan mention before I knocked?" She looked to the small creature for confirmation and smiled when he nodded.

"Otou-_san_ and onii-_chan_ will need a lot of persuasion too," Sakura added thoughtfully. To her surprise there was another knock at the door. Sakura blinked and got to her feet, glancing at Kero, who nodded and fluttered over to sit in Tomoyo's lap. If it was anyone not included in who knew about Sakura's power he was to assume his stuffed toy impression. Sakura opened the door and, forgetting her manners, promptly stared at the man on her doorstep. He grinned cheerfully down at her, blue eyes kind behind half moon spectacles.

"_Konnichiwa_, Sakura-_san_," he said with a bow that had his snowy beard sweeping the floor. His accent was really good; it was clear, though, that he was not a native Japanese speaker. "I had meant to deliver your letter personally. My name is Albus Dumbledore," he added, still speaking in Japanese. In spite of the way he looked, Sakura felt an instant liking towards this kindly old man and smiled at him, bowing in reply and trying not to stare at his strange clothes.

"Please come in, Dumbledore-_san_. I'm glad you came. It seems we might require your assistance…"

* * *

On an ordinary day that he worked so late Kinomoto Touya would have come home to a darkened house, the light in the entryway thoughtfully left on for him by his younger sister, taken of his shoes, and gone to the kitchen for something to drink before heading up to bed.

Tonight was different. When he approached the house he noticed, to his surprise, that the lights to the living room and kitchen were both still on. His father's car was just pulling into the driveway as he opened the gate, so clearly it was not Fujitaka in the house. Was Sakura still awake this late? It was almost ten o'clock and she had school in the morning. Even if she was still doing homework, which was unlikely, she would be in her room. Touya waited for his father to get out of the car, home from his latest excavation. They exchanged worried glances.

"Do you know what's going on, Touya-_kun_?" father asked son in confusion. Touya shook his head and shouldered his bag, closing the gate behind them and walking with his father up the sidewalk.

"Maybe Sakura waited up for us?" Touya suggested, though he didn't sound very convinced. It must have shown in his voice because his father only shook his head faintly.

"That's not like Sakura-_san_, especially when she has school the next day," Fujitaka remarked.

"I guess we'll know when we get inside," Touya said finally, pulling his key from his pocket and unlocking the door. Letting his father go first he dropped his bag on the floor and switched his shoes for his slippers. There were voices coming from the living room. One was Kero's unmistakably Osaka-accented tone. The softer one was Sakura's friend Tomoyo, and Sakura spoke up a moment later to offer more tea.

The fourth voice was completely alien and held a trace of the accent of one not accustomed to speaking Japanese. Without a word Fujitaka and Touya made their way to the living room. Both stopped and blinked to find an old man seated on the couch conversing with both girls and, astonishingly, Kero. Touya cleared his throat and all four looked up. Sakura immediately jumped to her feet.

"Ah, ah, _okaerinasai_, otou-_san_, onii-_chan_!" From the almost frantic way she welcomed her brother and father home it was clear that she was rather nervous. The owl perched on the man's shoulder only made things even odder. Sensing that explanations would have to start with introductions, Dumbledore got to his feet and bowed to both men. "Otou-_san_, onii-_chan_, this is Dumbledore-_san_, the headmaster of a…special school," Sakura stumbled over what to call Hogwarts.

"Dumbledore-san, this is Kinomoto Fujitaka, my father, and my big brother Touya." The men exchanged greetings, Touya's slightly suspicious and Fujitaka's mildly confused. Both sat down and, after an invitation to do so from Fujitaka, Dumbledore reclaimed his place on the couch beside Tomoyo.

"Doubtless you are wondering who I am and why I'm here," he began, resting his hands in his star-spangled robes, his hat resting on the table after he had respectfully removed it shortly after Sakura invited him inside. "If you do not mind, I would very much like it if Daidouji-_san_'s mother might be called? It would be substantially easier to explain all of this with her present, as well. I promise you I mean no harm."

Only when Fujitaka had given permission did Tomoyo step out of the room to call her mother over to the Kinomoto residence, saying only that it was important. When she came back it was with a polite smile and an assurance that her mother would be here soon. This night was definitely going to be interesting, to say the least.

* * *

Convincing Tomoyo's mother had not been as difficult as Sakura expected and, surprisingly, Sakura did not have to use any of her magic. Dumbledore had adequately managed to prove the existence of magic to Daidouji Sonomi all by himself. Convincing her to allow Tomoyo to attend a school in Scotland, without the family bodyguards, was another task in itself but Dumbledore seemed to have experience with this for, by the end of the very late night, not only had Sonomi reluctantly agreed but Fujitaka had given his permission as well. Touya did not look overly happy but he, too, finally said it was fine by him. His stipulation, though, was not one that Sakura was looking forward to.

She had to be the one to tell Yue of the circumstances, and also that he wouldn't be able to go with his mistress. She had protested, since Tsukishiro Yukito was Touya's boyfriend and it would have been easier for Touya to tell Yukito's true form what was going on. Though Sakura was over her crush on Yukito, who was in reality only the disguise form for Yue, her moon guardian still frightened her a little bit. Even so, Sakura knew her brother would not back down, and inwardly she knew it would not be right of her to try to get her brother to break the news to her stoic guardian.

That didn't mean she was going to enjoy this. As she had expected, Yue was not happy to hear that his mistress would be going halfway around the world and that he would not be allowed to tag along because, firstly, he was not a student and, secondly, he was not small enough to hide like Kero was. Actually, to say Yue was _not happy_ was akin to describing a hurricane as a _friendly little breeze_. In the end Yue only agreed, though sourly, to allow this to happen because Kero had reminded him of how safe a school it was and how fondly Clow Reed had spoken of it.

"And she'll learn more magic, Yue," Kero had added. "Practical, modern magic to help her if she is ever unable to access her cards." Both Sakura and Kero knew it wasn't the idea that she could learn more magic that had Yue accepting but the idea that she would learn more ways to protect herself. He seemed cold at times but Sakura knew Yue really did care about her, even if he had a hard time showing it.

In the end it was decided that Sakura and Tomoyo would be attending this magic school in Scotland and, in return, Dumbledore gave them both train tickets and informed them that their school lists were included with the letter. He also told them that he would be sending someone by something called a "portkey" who would be able to take them where they needed to go to get their school supplies a week before school started on the first of September, and that there was a place they could stay in that week before reporting to the train station. When Sakura asked Dumbledore who this person was the old wizard only smiled faintly and said that they would know when the time came.

This had taken more persuasion on Touya and Sonomi's part before it, too, was finally allowed. Dumbledore's parting advice was to make sure the girls changed their money from the Japanese yen to the wizarding currency at a bank called "Gringotts". It all seemed so overwhelming, but the prospect of a boarding school for magic was enough to override the girls' worries for the time being. With that Dumbledore took his leave and Sonomi called her driver to come and pick her and Tomoyo up. She was muttering about paperwork when they left – Fujitaka explained to Sakura that, of course, they would have to be removed from Tomoeda Private Elementary since they would not be attending any longer.

By the time everyone had settled in for sleep it was well past midnight. With her father's assurances that she would not have to go to school tomorrow, though he wanted her to go up until it was time for her to leave with the person Dumbledore was sending, Sakura drifted off to sleep, mind buzzing with excitement and all thoughts of horrific dreams forgotten.

* * *

_So this is the first chapter. I have up to chapter eight in my notes so far, but churning out decent chunks of story is time-consuming. I've had this crossover on my mind for almost a year now. It took a push from a dear friend of mine – and a lot of help from that same friend with the plot – for me to finally write and post it. I love feedback, good or bad, and look forward to everyone's opinions!_

_Translations:_

_**Aibou:** Partner (This is the most literal translation. When used by Atem and Yuugi, I imagine that it implies something closer that a physical partner. More like "soul partner".)  
__**Mou Hitori no Ore/Boku:** "The other me." Yuugi (and most people) would use "boku". "Ore" is considered very arrogant and possessive when used by anyone other than a king or noble. Then again, Atem was pharaoh.  
__**Hikari:** Light  
__**Tadaima:** "I'm home!" Usually said when a person arrives home.  
__**Yami:** Darkness_

_(These two are shamelessly plagiarized from Wikipedia):_

_**Sashimi:** A Japanese delicacy primarily consisting of very fresh raw seafood, sliced into thin pieces and served with only a dipping sauce (soy sauce with wasabi paste and thinly-sliced ginger root or gari, and ponzu), and a simple garnish such as shiso and shredded daikon radish.  
__**Sunomono:** __Namasu is a Japanese dish consisting of thinly sliced uncooked (nama) vegetables and seafood, marinated in rice vinegar (su) for several hours, pickling them slightly. Sunomono and other vinegar salads are related to namasu._

_**Yamoto:** I lost the web page I got this from, but yamoto is a type of soup that's usually served at dinner, as opposed to miso soup, which is a breakfast soup.  
__**Itadakimasu:** Usually translated as "It's time to eat now!" or "Thanks for the food!", this phrase is actually more like saying grace before partaking of a meal.  
__**Bento:** Box lunch  
__**Minna-san:** I might be wrong about this one, spelling-wise, but it means "everyone".  
__**Moshi, moshi:** "Hello", when answering the phone  
__**Hai:** "Yes", "Okay", "Sure"  
__**Kami-sama:** "Kami" means "god", "-sama" is an honorific. The literal translation of this would be "Lord God", taken in a spiritual sense rather than as if someone was cursing.  
__**Gaki:** Although this isn't exactly what Kero calls Syaoran, it means "kid".  
__**Otou-san:** Father  
__**Onii-chan:** Big brother, affectionately. This is how Sakura refers to Touya. Variations include "Nii-sama (what Mokuba would refer to Seto as), Nii-san, Onii-san, Onii-sama, etc.  
__**Okaeri/Okaerinasai:** "Welcome home!" said in response to "tadaima"_

_**On Japanese street names:** Most Japanese places don't actually have street names. Wikipedia has a very nice article on this subject._

_**On honorifics:**_

_**-chan:** Used between young girls or very good friends, -chan can be translated as "little so-and-so". Most of the time boys won't be referred to by this honorific unless they are very young.  
__**-kun:** Used exclusively for young men, typically teenagers, –kun does not have a direct English translation. –kun can occasionally be used on females who bear names traditionally used for males, such as Tohru in Fruits Basket.  
__**-san:** The English equivalent is "Mr." or "Ms." or "Mrs." Note that this honorific is used much more commonly than the English equivalent. Also note that even enemies may address each other with this honorific, such as the case with Soujirou calling Kenshin "Himura-san" in Rurouni Kenshin.  
__-**sama:** This confers high respect to the person whose name it is attached to. The English equivalent is "Lord" or "Lady".  
__**-ou:** This honorific is no longer in use but would have been used to defer to a ruler. Hence, Yuugi-ou.  
__**-dono:** Unlikely to be used in this story, but it confers an even higher level of respect than "-sama", and would be used in the "servant speaking to master" respect. It is an expression that the speaker is extremely humble._

_Usually left off lists, the lack of an honorific is sometimes more important than an actual honorific. Usually the only people who will refer to each other without some form of honorific are family members or very, very close friends. However, if a person does not have permission to do so, addressing another person without an honorific can be very rude. The same principle is attached to the importance of swapping from addressing a person from their last name to their first, the latter indicating closeness, such as when Sakura asked to call Li Syaoran "Syaoran-kun" in _Cardcaptor Sakura_._

_That should be all, for now. In later chapters I'll leave out the honorifics guide and put only notes and the translations. _

_Word Count: 13, 521_

_Kampai! (Cheers!)  
__AkizukiSakura_


	2. Memories and Shopping

**Title: **_Magical Alliance  
_**Author: **_AkizukiSakura  
_**Series: **_Yuugi-ou/Harry Potter/Cardcaptor Sakura  
_**Genre: **_Romance/Fantasy  
_**Rating: **_M/R  
_**Pairing(s): **_Yami no Yuugi/Yuugi, Bakura/Ryou, Sakura/Scorpius, others pending.  
_**Spoilers/Warnings: **_Since all three series referenced here are complete, let it be safe to assume that I might reference anything and everything. This is heavily plot divergent.  
_**Disclaimer: **_Yuugi-ou belongs to Takahashi Kazuki-san. Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling. Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to CLAMP. I own only the basic plot and make no monetary profit off this story.  
_**Summary: **_With Voldemort gone, the wizarding world was allowed to release its collective breath. The danger seems to be over. So why are people who aren't even associated with wizards having visions that pertain to the hidden, magical world?  
_**Notes: **_There are hints of pairings in this chapter that aren't listed above. Those will not change, either, but since they are not mentioned too much I deigned it unnecessary to list them under 'pairings'._

_Italicized words represent thoughts unless they're in Japanese. Foreign words will be italicized as well._

'…' _represents telepathic communication.  
_"…" _(non-italicized) represent spoken words.  
Any necessary translations will be at the end of each chapter. _

* * *

**Chapter 2:** _Memories and Shopping_

At five-thirty in the morning most normal people would be in bed unless they happened to need to be at work. Twenty-nine-year-old Harry Potter, savior of the wizarding world, was obviously not one of those lucky few. Slumped over a lukewarm mug of coffee, the raven-haired man did not look well. His face was drawn and pinched and there were faint beginnings of dark circles under his eyes. This was not a man who slept well – this was a man troubled by something.

The fact of the matter was that Harry Potter had finally defeated the dark lord in his seventh year. No one but Harry knew the exact details of the confrontation between Tom Riddle and himself and even after twelve years he showed no signs of wanting to divulge any details. Voldemort had led the attack on Hogsmeade – and then Hogwarts – but before his Death Eaters and organized sub-humans had managed to breach the castle walls Harry had defeated the darkest wizard of the age and the dark army had ceased fighting almost immediately.

Some people were pardoned and others were persecuted based on the accounts of a number of spies and informants present in Voldemort's army – namely one Severus Snape and, surprisingly enough, Lucius Malfoy. Plenty of people plead innocence, claiming to have been under the Imperius at the time, or blackmailed, or any number of 'extenuating circumstances'. The ministry did its best to sort who was guilty and who was innocent. Harry Potter was given an Order of Merlin, first class, and left to finish his schooling. Most people seemed to expect that he would end up an Auror – only Albus Dumbledore seemed unsurprised when the wizarding savior decided he wanted to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at the only place he'd ever called home.

Even Albus Dumbledore, however, did not know what had transpired that fateful night when Harry had rid the wizarding world of a wicked wizard and Harry had buried those memories safely in a penseive that he kept from the clutches of everyone, even his wife Ginny.

Harry was roused from his blank state by the feel of small, slender hands on his shoulders gently massaging the knots of tension. He did not look up, knowing already who it was that had come downstairs after him – Ginny must have woken up and realized that he was not in bed and, like the caring woman she was, had gone in search of him.

"Nightmares again, Harry?" she asked sympathetically, though she was not insulted by the silence that followed her question. Harry had never been the type of person to burden other people when he could help it and, though Ginny could tell something was wrong, she was not one to pry into her husband's feelings. Still, it was a sign of trust that he had not pulled away from her, nor had he openly denied having any troubles. He had not told her what was bothering him, but at least he respected her enough not to lie to her.

She stayed like that for several minutes, smoothing her hands over Harry's back and shoulders before slipping her hands down his chest and leaning over him for a soothing embrace. She pressed her lips to his cheek and let the drift to his ear.

"Come back to bed, Harry… Staying down here won't help you. I have a little bit of Dreamless Sleep left over still from the last time you had these nightmares." She disentangled her willowy form from his and, holding her pale pink dressing gown closer, she went back upstairs. Harry was like a cat – he would come to her in his own time and not a moment sooner.

Eventually Harry got to his feet, scooping up the mug and depositing it in the sink before proceeding after his wife. Ginny always was a rock of good sense. It was one of the reasons he'd fallen in love with her and married her – one of the reasons their son had so much common sense hidden under his mischievous personality. She always knew how to calm him down, even if it was just with her presence and a few tender words, and Harry knew he would always love the woman he had married only a few months after graduating. Later he would visit Draco but, for now, he could enjoy the last few hours of the night with his loving wife.

* * *

Malfoy Manor was a behemoth of a structure set against the backdrop of rolling British hills and a lake that rivaled the size of Lake Erie in the United States. Like the castle of Hogwarts, Malfoy Manor and its surrounding land was Unplottable and probably had more secrecy magic infused into its structure than the school. The Malfoys valued their privacy even when the dark lord had fallen a little over a decade ago. Very few people could simply walk up to the manor and ring the doorbell.

Happily enough, Harry Potter was one of those select few who was always welcome at the home of his once-arch nemesis. Draco Malfoy had been Harry's year-mate and, while they had been the same age when starting school, Harry had taken an instant disliking to the aristocratic Slytherin for his constant jibes on the worth of being a pure-blooded wizard. It was only when the Malfoys revealed that they were truly on the side of 'good' that he and Draco had begun to reconcile even a little bit, and it was almost five years before Harry had learned to appreciate Draco's prickly attitude and dark sense of humor enough to call him a friend.

Harry did not typically make it a point to visit Draco too often, for there was a limit to just how much of the Slytherin he could stand at a time, but in times when he needed advice – or even just a "Get over it, Potter!" – Draco was definitely the person to turn to. Ginny would sooth him; Draco was a voice of reason that wouldn't allow him to pity himself. In a twisted way their relationship seemed to work.

A house elf answered the door, a little female with vivid blue eyes that Harry did not know. He smiled at her just the same and told her he wanted to see Draco. With subservient attitude that her kind was known for, she led him to one of the sitting rooms to wait. Harry was only mildly surprised to find it occupied already by none other than the hook-nosed potions master of Hogwarts.

"Severus," he greeted calmly, sitting down on a forest green armchair as the house elf ran off to inform Draco of another visitor. Harry had come rather early – the chances were slim that Draco was awake and dressed and, with the emphasis he placed on personal appearance, he would never greet a guest at less than his best.

The familiar sneer twisted Severus Snape's thin lips but Harry expected that. While he and Severus were coworkers now, and had been for almost eight years, Severus would never admit to liking him. Harry knew better than to press the issue, though it was clear to everyone else that he and Severus were able to hold a decent conversation with minimal insults. It was a relationship rather like Draco's and Harry's: Harry could count on Severus to be snide and superior and, like Draco, Severus was best kept in small doses to prohibit bloodshed.

"Potter," Severus replied, dark eyes waxing sadistically amused. "Dare I ask what brings you here so early despite the common knowledge that my godson is rarely awake and coherent before noon?" he asked, his tone condescending. Harry knew that Severus was actually curious, though, and perhaps a little concerned, because he knew, too, that Harry and Draco would never be called "best friends".

"I needed to ask him something… But, come to think of it, it's probably something I should ask you." From the way Harry's green eyes drifted toward Severus' left arm the ex-spy knew instantly what he wanted to know. Before he could open his mouth to reply, though, the house elf was back, this time preceding Draco Malfoy. The blonde man had not changed much at all in the past twelve years. His face was still vaguely pointed, his hair still blonde, his eyes still an interesting shade of blue-gray. His hair brushed his shoulders now and was receding slightly from his forehead but he still carried himself with the arrogance and pride he had always been known for.

"Professor Snape, Potter," he greeted in his usual drawl, sitting in an armchair that was a match in color for the one Harry had claimed. Harry did not miss the lack of title given to his name but he wasn't too insulted – it was Malfoy through and through. "What brings you to my home this morning?" He glanced at Harry and smirked faintly. "Or, rather, what brings _you_ here, Potter? Since I invited Severus I know why he's here."

Harry rolled his eyes at Draco's melodramatics but replied anyway with, "I needed to know if you've felt anything lately." Both Slytherin men stared at him. Harry grimaced. "I'm not in the mood for pleasantries this morning, all right?" He knew they were startled by his blunt words and now both of them were scrutinizing him carefully. Knowing that rushing either man would only make them purposefully take their time, Harry bore their examinations patiently. It was Severus who broke the silence first.

"You've been having dreams lately, haven't you?" Despite the phrasing Harry knew that Severus wasn't really asking him to answer. His question must have shown on his face, though, for Severus rolled his eyes but it was Draco who answered.

"Please, Potter," he sniffed derisively. "Not only is your face as open as it's ever been but there are circles beneath your eyes. Anyone who knows you knows that when you sleep badly it's usually because of your dreams. And the fact that you asked _me_ if I've 'felt anything' means that whatever you're dreaming about has something to do with the dark lord." Draco folded his hands on top of his cane, one made similarly to the one his father carried. "If Severus wasn't here I'd suggest you ask my father," he added rather pointedly. Draco's arm was unblemished by the burden of the dark mark. Both Draco and Harry looked at Severus, who unconsciously brushed his fingers over the sleeve covering his left arm.

"I have felt things, certainly," he said slowly, as though weighing his words. "However, the dark lord was the only one to do something like this to his followers… There is no research as to the lasting effects of such a mark even with the source cut down." He glanced at Harry. "The fact that I felt the occasional twinge would be nothing to me if not for the fact that you are clearly troubled as well. It will be something to look into." He sighed faintly and relaxed. "It is probably nothing but the residual effects of his magic. Since it troubles you, I will make a fresh batch of Dreamless Sleep and have it sent to you."

Although it wasn't a concise answer to why he was still haunted by dreams of Voldemort, Harry knew he couldn't expect much else. He had, however, alerted two other people to the idea that something might be wrong. At least this way, should anything happen, not everyone would be taken by surprise. The new batch of Dreamless Sleep was definitely a plus, too, for with the new school term starting soon he needed to make sure he was up to par with teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. He got to his feet.

"Thank you Draco, Severus," he said, nodding to the both of them. "I won't take up any more of your time." To anyone else the comment might have seemed cold, like he was unhappy with the lack of conversation, but Harry knew they would understand that he didn't have time to spend here. Besides, Severus had actually been invited and yet they had dealt with Harry's problem first. The Slytherins may not have realized it but that fact spoke volumes on how much they had come to tolerate, perhaps even like, his presence.

* * *

Some would say that eavesdropping was not an occupation fit for a Malfoy. Scorpius would reply to that with the comment that eavesdropping was an occupation fit for anyone wanting information and that if they didn't want him to hear they should have put an Imperturbable Charm on the door.

Scorpius was not stupid, nor was he ignorant, and he certainly wasn't a fool. He knew the reputation his family had amassed over the centuries, just as he knew how hard his grandfather worked to dispel that reputation. His family was not evil. The Malfoys were not against using force to get what they wanted, but that didn't make them evil. A little heavy-handed, but not evil.

Even so, his father often deigned to keep him out of conversations that dealt with the Second War because the Malfoys were trying to be a little less trigger-happy, to use a Muggle turn of phrase, and Draco did not want his son picking up too many bad habits. That wasn't to say Draco wasn't proud of his Slytherin heritage – it was quite the contrary – but in the beginning all four founders had been friends. Scorpius, too, was a Slytherin. He'd be returning to Hogwarts this year as a second year student but, where plenty of his housemates were wary of the rest of the school, Scorpius made an effort to show that Slytherin House was not a dark house.

Since his father kept him out of the loop so much, though, Scorpius had learned that there was plenty of information to be had when the savior of the wizarding world got together with a Malfoy, especially when Professor Snape was there, too. Today proved that theory – Scorpius moved up the stair silently, headed back to his room and fiddling with the heavy silver ring on his right index finger. His father said it was a family heirloom that seemed right for him and told him that he should avoid taking it off. Scorpius had always thought those orders were strange. Now he wondered if it had anything to do with Professor Potter's apparent dreams and the mark on Professor Snape's arm.

He certainly had quite a lot to think about before the start of the new term in two weeks.

* * *

It was precisely ten minutes before their visitor was scheduled to arrive via portkey and both Sakura and Tomoyo were understandably nervous. Both girls had just finished packing, though Tomoyo kept thinking of things to add to Sakura's bag to "enhance your undeniable cuteness!" while at school. Sakura had to remind Tomoyo, patiently, that they would be buying new, uniformed robes to wear and that she wouldn't be able to wear any of the clothes Tomoyo kept trying to get her to take along.

In the end Tomoyo gave in but she still decided to take the video camera Dumbledore had charmed for her. It wouldn't work right now, since it had been modified to run on magical energy rather than electrical energy, but it would be useful when they got to school – Dumbledore had only done so because Tomoyo had looked so heartbroken at the idea that she wouldn't be able to film her cute Sakura while at a magical school. The headmaster had extricated a promise from Tomoyo that she wouldn't show that footage to anyone unaware of the existence of the magical world.

Now both girls were sitting on the couch, each bearing a purse and a duffle bag – Kero was stashed in Sakura's purse for the time being, as Tomoyo's mother was still not quite used to him. Tomoyo's mother Sonomi and Sakura's brother Touya alternated between sitting on chairs brought from the dining room and pacing back and forth in mild agitation. Only Sakura's father seemed content to stay seated, though his gaze shifted to the clock more than was casually normal. At exactly ten o'clock someone knocked on the door and Fujitaka immediately got to his feet, holding up a hand when Touya started toward the entryway to get the door. Recognizing that his father was just as nervous, Touya conceded and forced himself to take a seat.

Sakura blinked when she heard her father and the newcomer speaking to each other. Their visitor sounded like a male about Sakura's father's age. He also sounded very familiar, though Sakura couldn't quite place it, and a glance at Tomoyo proved that the other girl was just as baffled. They got to their feet as Fujitaka led the newcomer into the living room.

He was tall, probably at least as tall as Touya, if not a little bit taller, with dark blue-black hair and equally shadowed eyes. There was a pair of glasses perched on his nose and his skin was almost pale enough to be called translucent. Sakura and Tomoyo gaped rather openly at him. If he was shorter, and his glasses a bit bigger, and his lips quirked into a familiar semi-condescending smile, this man would look very much like…

"_Eriol-kun_?!" Sakura gasped in shock, staring at the man in complete surprise. Hiiragizawa Eriol's lips did quirk into that familiar smile then even as he bowed slightly.

"It's been a long time Sakura-_san_, Daidouji-_san_," he replied, his tone a little smug. Sakura shook her head at him, wanting to be upset with his need for dramatic secrecy but unable to keep the smile from her face. Eriol had been extremely secretive when he'd lived here in Tomoeda, and his entire appearance had been falsified, but Sakura found that she could not dislike the mage who had helped her so much, even if his help had come in an odd way.

"Dumbledore-_san_ was adamant that we not know the identity of our escort," Tomoyo remarked as she examined Eriol's grown-up body. "I would guess he shares the same love of the 'mystical mage' as you, Hiiragizawa-_kun_. So this is how you should truly look?"

When Sakura and Tomoyo had met Eriol a year ago he had been a child about the same age as the both of them. One he'd revealed his presence as the one orchestrating the strange occurrences around Tomoeda so that Sakura could change the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards, he had explained that he was actually much older than they were and had purposefully halted his aging so as to be Sakura's classmate. As far as the girls knew, once he'd returned to England – and to Mizuki Kaho, a woman who had helped Sakura win against Yue during the Last Judgment of the Clow Cards and the woman he loved – he had limited his contact with them to letters and the occasional phone call. They had figured he was busy with his new life.

"I might be a few years off one way or the other but as far as memory serves me yes, this is how I should truly look." Eriol was smiling now, too, and it wasn't his arrogant 'I-know-more-than-you' smile for once. "I'm sure Professor Dumbledore told you that I was one of Hogwart's Divination teachers. Since my lesson plans were finished he gave me permission to escort you two around Diagon Alley for your school supplies, but I have to be back at the school a few days before the start of term to meet some of the new teachers, one of which will be teaching Divination with me."

Sakura turned to her father, who smiled faintly at her and nodded. She ran over to give him a hug. He held her a little tighter than he might have usually but, since she would be gone for several months, she wasn't very surprised. What _did_ surprise her was that once Fujitaka let go Touya claimed her for a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Be careful and stay safe, _kaijuu_." When she scowled up at him Touya smiled in a way that Sakura could not keep from returning. He released her and stepped nimbly out of range. "And make sure you don't squash any of the other kids!" Sakura puffed her cheeks in annoyance but let it go for now, huffing instead and hurrying over to gather her bags. Sonomi let her daughter go, dabbing a handkerchief under her eyes so as to avoid mussing her makeup, and Eriol made sure both girls were ready before he held out an empty candy tin.

"This is called a portkey," he said before anyone could ask. "In exactly forty-five seconds it'll take us where we need to be, so make sure you're touching at least one finger to it. And make sure you've got a tight hold of your things," he added as the girls unconsciously reached for each other's hands before placing their fingertips on the chilled tin. They smiled at their families – Eriol inclined his head politely – and a moment later there was a curious hooking sensation around their navels and all three vanished from the living room.

"Stay safe, Sakura-_san,­ _Tomoyo_-san_," Fujitaka said quietly to the space where his daughter had just been before turning to Sonomi. "Would you like to stay for dinner?" he offered politely. Tomoyo's mother gave him a heavily scrutinizing look before she finally nodded, a faint blush tinting her cheeks.

* * *

If she had her way Sakura would never, ever, _ever_ travel that way again. The sensation when the portkey had first extended its magic over them had been unpleasant, especially when it then proceeded to yank none-too-gently at her navel. If the beginning was unpleasant the end was ten times worse, for Eriol had not warned them that the magical device was going to slam them into the ground when the journey was finished. Both Sakura and Tomoyo had ended up sprawled on the cobblestones of what looked like a dingy yard behind an even dingier building. From the way Eriol casually floated down he had known that the portkey would not drop them gently. He at least had the decency to look abashed.

"I'm sorry, ladies – I had forgotten that you two have never travelled this way or I would have warned you." He offered a hand to each of them and helped them up, then picked up their luggage despite their protests. "It's fine," he assured them. "We're just going inside, anyway." Leading them into the building he smiled down at them. "This is the Leaky Cauldron, one of the entrances to the wizarding world and the only entrance to Diagon Alley from the non-magical community."

The building had looked rather run-down on the outside and, while it was dark and smelled a little musty on the inside Sakura could tell that the bar counter and tabletops were clean, the floors well swept, and the pictures were free of dust. They were also moving, something that Sakura pointed out to Tomoyo as Eriol called to someone named 'Tom'. He and the bartender exchanged a few words as the girls took in their surroundings. Finally both men came over and Eriol introduced them.

"Sakura-_san_, Tomoyo_-san_, this is Tom. He's going to show you to your room. I thought you might want to share so you wouldn't get lonely." Sakura nodded and Tomoyo took her hand again. "Don't worry about unpacking just yet – we have to go out to get your school supplies. Just drop off your things."

The room Tom showed them to had a silver '9' tacked firmly against the wood. The key he gave them, too, had the same number carved into its pewter handle. The room, like the bar, was plain but obviously kept clean. The window overlooked the muggle street outside, the rugs had been freshly aired, and there were clean sheets on the bed. All in all it wasn't bad.

Even Tomoyo, used to grander surroundings but in no way spoiled, had only good things to say and a smile for Tom. Once they had dropped off their suitcases – Sakura let Kero out of her purse, as he'd wanted to stay behind to scope out where they'd be staying for safety – Tom took them back downstairs where Eriol was speaking to an extremely large man with a beard. Catching sight of his charges Eriol excused himself politely and joined them, leading them back outside to the little paved area and right up to a brick wall. He pulled a wand from the sleeve of his pale blue robes.

"While I prefer it in its staff form, my Key works best with wizarding spells in this shape. Remind me after we get Daidouji-_san_'s wand to show you how to turn your key into wand form, all right Sakura-_san_?" Looking at it now Sakura could tell that this was Eriol's staff, for the handle was carved with little sunbursts and the wand was made of a wood that was a pale yellow rather than a shade of brown. He waited for Sakura to nod before he began counting and tapping bricks on the wall. About to ask what he was doing, Sakura pulled in a sharp breath of surprise when the wall began wriggling and shifting until the bricks had rearranged themselves into an archway that opened onto a crowded street packed with people and shops.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley," he said, smiling at the girls' openmouthed expressions of shock. "Professor Dumbledore gave me the money your parents sent him to change it from yen to wizarding money, so we won't have to visit the bank." He handed each of them a pouch that jingled with metal coins. "Keep it in your purses and keep them close to you. I think the first thing we should do is stop at Ollivander's for Daidouji-_san_'s wand."

As he'd spoken he'd taken both girls' hands so they wouldn't get lost and led them down the paved street. He knew better than to try to talk to them, though, knowing that they would be too in awe of their surroundings to hold a conversation. He was right, too – Sakura's wide emerald eyes were on the various people they passed, ranging in age from very young children to very old witches. There were people who looked like they might be right at home in places like Egypt for their darkly tanned skin and glossy hair to even further southern parts of Africa with almost pitch-black skin and complicated hairstyles. Diagon Alley seemed to be a hodgepodge of witches and wizard from all over the world.

Tomoyo's attention was on the shops and stores they passed on the way to Ollivander's, her keen mind and admittedly girly shopping sense taking in colors, scents, and even hazarding guesses at textures of the items they passed. There was a shop displaying various styles of brooms fitted with seats – Tomoyo was reminded the witches were supposed to ride broomsticks, though she didn't think she'd care to be so high in the air unless it was with Sakura on her staff. They also passed an apothecary and a number of bookstores as well as a place called "Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions" that Tomoyo wanted to take a look at to learn the wizarding style. Maybe she could get some ideas on new clothes to make for her beloved Sakura_-chan_.

Finally they came to a stop at a store with dusty windows and lettering that proclaimed 'Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.' Where many of the stores they had passed had proudly displayed various good in their windows, this shop had only a single, rather dusty-looking wand displayed on a faded purple cushion in the window. Despite the appearance of the shop, though, Eriol nodded to Tomoyo.

"This is the best place in the world to buy a wand. Mr. Ollivander is a tad…ah…strange, but he does brilliant work with wands and I have yet to hear of anyone unsatisfied with his work." When he pushed open the door to the shop a tiny bell tingled and, a moment later, an old man with odd silver eyes approached them with a smile that was vaguely strange, though Sakura couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Inside the shop the walls were lined floor to ceiling with thousands of narrow boxes that, Sakura guessed, each held a wand. In spite of herself Sakura was impressed but she supposed there would have to be a lot of wands if most new witches and wizards came here to buy them. "No two wands are the same, my dear," Ollivander spoke up suddenly, startling Sakura into giving him her attention. "They are made of different materials and no two are precisely the same. The wand chooses the witch or wizard, which means I must always have a wand that suits each person who comes into my shop."

"Professor," he greeted Eriol, who nodded in response. Ollivander peered at Sakura for several moments before shaking his head. "Not here for a wand, are you, mistress?" he asked, though it was clearly a rhetorical question for he soon smiled at Tomoyo. "A new witch… Follow me, please, all three of you. I have a few wands in mind already." They followed him deeper into the shop. Ollivander produced a tape measure. "Your wand hand?" he asked patiently. Tomoyo immediately volunteered her right hand and the man began measuring, starting with her arm and moving on to her hand, her fingers, her fingertips, and more besides. It was only when Tomoyo noticed that he was pulling down various boxes that she realized the tape measure was doing all this on its own.

"That's enough," Ollivander said suddenly and the tape measure dropped to the ground. He opened a box and offered the contents to Tomoyo. She stared at it and then at him, feeling rather nervous. "Just give it a swish, dear, and see if anything happens," he instructed, but she had barely lifted it when he grabbed it away. "No, no, not that one – try this one, mahogany and phoenix feather…"

They went through what felt like hundreds of wands before Ollivander carefully detached a box from the very bottom of a large stack of them, blowing dust off the box. "Tricky customer, eh?" he said, seeming delighted. "Tricky customer, special wand; willow, sixteen inches, unicorn-hair core." Tomoyo immediately noticed the difference when she picked this one up, for warmth filled her body and silver sparks shot from the tip, startling her. Ollivander nodded decisively.

"Long and swishy, built for charm work; I thought charms would suit you. A powerful wand indeed, my dear." He wrapped the wand in tissue and put it back in its box as he spoke, handing it to Tomoyo a moment later. "Take care of it!" he added. Tomoyo handed over a number of silver coins – Eriol called them "Sickles" – for her new wand and the luminescent-eyed man bowed them from his shop. Sakura linked arms with her best friend.

"Congratulations, Tomoyo_-chan_!" she said cheerily, knowing that her friend had begun to grow worried when none of the wands seemed to satisfy the wandmaker. Sakura, however, had a feeling when they first entered the shop that Tomoyo's power would be difficult to ascertain, especially since Kero had such a hard time realizing she had any magic to begin with. Tomoyo gave her a relieved, thankful smile.

"All right, ladies. Since I know how girls are with clothes, how about you two go get your robes" he pointed at Madam Malkin's "while I get your potions ingredients and books, and we can meet at Eeyelop's?" he finished, pointing at a store bustling with various animals. When the girls nodded he smiled. "Make sure your robes match what it says on your school lists, though I'm sure Madam Malkin's will help you out." He shook his head when Tomoyo started to reach into her purse for money. "I'll take care of it. Consider it a gift for future students."

Before either girl could protest Eriol was gone. Tomoyo and Sakura exchanged exasperated glances before shaking their heads and entering the shop. They had barely been in for a moment, looking rather lost against the massed multitude of robes, before a squat, cheery-looking woman came up to them.

"New students?" she asked without preamble, smiling wider when Tomoyo nodded and Sakura flashed a hesitant smile. "That's all right, dears, just follow me and I'll have you outfitted in a jiffy!" True to her word Sakura had barely stood atop a small stool when the witch had a long black robe over her head and was pinning the hems and sleeves, a number of pins in her mouth. Another witch did the same to Tomoyo and Sakura noticed a boy with pale blonde hair on the stool next to her. He noticed her looking and gave her a swift once-over.

"New to Hogwarts?" he asked finally, to which Sakura nodded. He gave her a tiny smile. "It's not that bad, you know." The witch at his feet seemed to be letting the hems down a bit. Sakura thought he might be a bit older than she was. Maybe he was in a year or two above her? As if reading her thoughts the boy smiled a little more. "I'm a second year. Name's Malfoy. Scorpius Malfoy." Sakura was suddenly very glad Dumbledore had given her and Tomoyo pendants to wear that would allow her to speak and understand English when she needed to.

"Kinomoto Sakura." She offered a hand, careful not to move any other part of her body while Madam Malkin pinned the black robe. He took her hand and, to her surprise and embarrassment, brushed his lips politely over her knuckles. If Eriol had not done the same thing to her a year ago and then explained it was polite to greet a lady in such a manner in England, Sakura would have been confused.

"Sakura," he repeated, looking thoughtful. "You're not from England, are you, Kinomoto?" he asked. "Your name doesn't suggest it, anyway." Sakura smiled at him as the witch finished his hems and told him he was done, pulling the robes off as he hopped off the stool. From the way he was dressed – black slacks and a pale gray button-up shirt – Sakura could guess that this person came from either a wealthy or a strict family.

"No, I'm from Japan. And, please, call me Sakura. I heard that it's more common to call someone by their first name here, right?" she asked, blushing faintly when he grinned openly at her.

"I think you'll do fine," he said. "And if I call you Sakura, you have to call me Scorpius, okay?" His eye was caught by a woman waving slightly at him. "Ah, that's my mother. I have to go, Sakura, but I guess I'll see you at the start of term." He waved a little and was soon gone, leaving Sakura to stare after him.

"He seemed nice," Tomoyo remarked suddenly from her left. Sakura jumped a little and turned to her friend, noting that she seemed to be finished. Before Sakura could answer Madam Malkin stood up.

"You're finished, dear," she announced happily, helping Sakura out of the robe so that she, too, could hop down from the stool. "I'll be back in a few minutes with these and another two sets, my dears, so just hold tight," she added, bustling off to the back somewhere. Catching the look in her friend's eye Sakura flushed faintly.

"He said he's a second year at Hogwarts," she explained to Tomoyo, who smiled at Sakura and gently nudged her ribs.

"Always the older men for you, ne Sakura_-chan_?" she teased. Sakura's face heated up instantly and, flustered, she hastily busied herself with looking through the robes on display while they waited on Madam Malkin.

"Tomoyo_-chan_, it's not like that!" she protested once her blush was under control. "He was just being friendly." Any chances that Tomoyo had to reply were lost when Madam Malkin came back bearing two large gift-sack shaped bags, one of which she handed to Tomoyo, the other to Sakura.

"There you are, my dears. Your names are on the inside collars and when you get to school your house crest will be put on your robes, too. Now then, the nice lady in green up front will take your payment, all right?" She waited for twin nods before beaming. "And relax, my dears! Have a good time!" It wasn't until they had paid and were waiting for Eriol at Eeyelop's Owl Emporium that it occurred to Sakura that neither she nor Tomoyo had given the friendly witch their names.

Eriol came up a few minutes later and smiled at them.

"I shrank your things and put them in my pockets so they wouldn't be too heavy – I'll undo the spell when we get back to the Leaky Cauldron. Would you two like to look in here for a pet before we head back?" he asked. Sakura, thinking of Kero, said that she didn't think she needed a pet, but Tomoyo remembered that they could have an owl and that owls were the medium for exchanging mail.

"I think I'd like an owl, Hiiragizawa-_kun_," she remarked. "We can share it so that everyone gets their mail. Is that all right, Sakura_-chan_?" Sakura smiled gratefully at her friend, knowing that Tomoyo knew she'd wanted an owl but didn't think Kero would like it too much. They entered the shop, emerging fifteen minutes later with a covered cage bearing a large female owl with pretty, pearly-gray plumage that Tomoyo named Haikagura as well as another bag containing "owl treats", something the bespectacled sales lady had said owls liked.

* * *

By the time they made it back to the Leaky Cauldron the sun was setting and all three of them were hungry. Eriol returned their things to their normal size – two large, bulging bags each as well as a large black trunk that bore their initials – and took them down to the ground floor for some dinner.

"You have a week to yourselves now, and I have to get back to the castle. If you need anything you can send a letter with Haikagura – owls are intelligent, she'll know where the school is," Eriol explained over dinner, a Western-style stew cupped in a bowl of bread. "You're both free to wander Diagon Ally, but stay on the main path and don't venture out into muggle London, all right?" He waited until they agreed before handing over two more pouches that jiggled with quite the amount of coins. "This is my gift of spending money," he said with a grin.

"But you bought most of our supplies already, Eriol­_-kun_," Sakura immediately protested, trying to give him the pouch back. Tomoyo didn't bother trying, knowing that Eriol would not allow them to refuse his gift. She was right.

"In my family it's a tradition to outfit the heir of the Clow Cards with anything they might need," he said seriously. "You're the first one to possess them since Clow Reed but it was his will – and I know since I have his memories – that you were taken care of." He smiled when Sakura reluctantly took the pouch. "Now, I didn't get your cauldrons or your quills and ink, so make sure you two manage to get it, all right?"

Eriol escorted them up to their rooms after dinner, promising to come and get them at the end of the week to take them to the train station and showing Sakura how to turn her Key into a wand rather than a staff – it required Sakura using "wand" in the spell rather than "true". Once they were settled into their room Eriol left, borrowing the fireplace downstairs to Floo back to Hogwarts, something that Professor Dumbledore had given him special permission to do since security had been tightened on the castle with the rise and fall of the dark lord.

Kero kept Sakura and Tomoyo up a little longer with questions about Diagon Alley and promised to accompany them when they went out from now on. Sakura could protect herself and her friend with her cards if she needed to but Kero told her it would be wise to keep them a secret for now since she was here to learn a different way of casting magic.

Though Sakura did not like keeping secrets from anybody she knew the wisdom of Kero's words and agreed.

* * *

_And that's the end of chapter two. There isn't much to say about it except to note that the length is back to a more normal one, rather than the monster the first chapter ended up being._

_The "spell" referred to regarding Sakura's staff is adapted from the anime and is as follows: "Key that hides the power of the stars, show your true form before me! I, Sakura, command you under out contract! Release!"_

_So in order to get a wand rather than a staff it would be changed thus: "Key that hides the power of the stars, show your wand form before me! I, Sakura, command you under out contract! Release!"_

_Unoriginal? Probably, but in the manga Sakura realizes that she must say "stars" in the spell to make the Key become a staff when she receives her Star Staff._

_Note that, once again, this version had been spell-checked but has _not_ been proofread._

_Translations:_

_**Kaijuu: **__Touya's nickname for Sakura is "monster". Normally she would reply with "Sakura kaijuu ja nai mo!" or "I am not a monster!" but here she decided to let it go.  
__**Haikagura: **__Since Tomoyo is Japanese, her name for her pet is Japanese. "Haikagura" means "clouds of ash" which seemed suitable for a gray owl to me._

_Word Count: 7,729_

_Kampai!  
__AkizukiSakura_


	3. Leaving and Learning

**Title: **_Magical Alliance  
_**Author: **_AkizukiSakura  
_**Series: **_Yuugi-ou/Harry Potter/Cardcaptor Sakura  
_**Genre: **_Romance/Fantasy  
_**Rating: **_M/R  
_**Pairing(s): **_Yami no Yuugi/Yuugi, Bakura/Ryou, Scorpius/Sakura, others pending.  
_**Spoilers/Warnings: **_Since all three series referenced here are complete, let it be safe to assume that I might reference anything and everything. This is heavily plot divergent.  
_**Disclaimer: **_Yuugi-ou belongs to Takahashi Kazuki-san. Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling. Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to CLAMP. I own only the basic plot and make no monetary profit off this story.  
_**Summary: **_With Voldemort gone, the wizarding world was allowed to release its collective breath. The danger seems to be over. So why are people who aren't even associated with wizards having visions that pertain to the hidden, magical world?  
_**Notes: **_There are hints of pairings in this chapter that aren't listed above. Those will not change, either, but since they are not mentioned too much I deigned it unnecessary to list them under 'pairings'. Also… Hagrid's accent is freaking annoying to emulate!_

_Italicized words represent thoughts unless they're in Japanese. Foreign words will be italicized as well as honorifics._

'…' _represents telepathic communication.  
_"…" _(non-italicized) represent spoken words.  
Any necessary translations will be at the end of each chapter. _

* * *

**Chapter 3:** _Leaving and Learning_

For what seemed like the tenth time in less than five minutes Mokuba watched Seto glance at the clock adorning the mantle of an elegant fireplace, his big brother's lips pursing almost crossly.

"They're late," the CEO and president of Kaiba Corporations finally announced sourly, glaring at the minute hand of the clock as though it had severely insulted him. Mokuba suppressed a snort with difficulty and knew instantly that he had failed at keeping it completely silenced when Seto glanced at him with an arched eyebrow. Mokuba raised his hands defensively.

"It's only two minutes after eight," he lightly chided his overzealous older brother. "And our escort won't be here until nine. _You're_ the one who set such an early time for everyone to gather even though I know Yuugi-_kun _and Atem-_san_ must have a hundred different things to do to shut down the shop in such a permanent way," he added when Seto looked only slightly reprimanded. Since Sugoroku had died two years ago – the anniversary of his death had fallen only a week ago on the twenty-fifth of August – Yuugi had no one to take care of the shop in his absence so it would have to be completely closed down.

Seto opened his mouth to reply with what Mokuba was sure would be a suitably scathing comeback but he was cut off by a knock on the door. Instead the older Kaiba barked a command for the person to enter – it was their housekeeper, there to announce that Bakura and Ryou had just arrived. Seto grumbled something that Mokuba interpreted in politer words to the housekeeper as: "Go ahead and show them in." A few minutes later both pale young men were seated upon a loveseat in the well-furnished room Seto had deigned the meeting place.

"What crawled up the priest's ass and died?" Bakura remarked to Ryou in his usual crass way, earning glares from not only said former high priest and his younger brother but also from his white-haired lover. Ryou calmly whacked his _yami_ atop the head.

"Manners, Bakura," he reminded the sulking thief calmly, his soft brown eyes betraying his amusement. "If I had to guess I would think Kaiba-_san_ is curious as to the whereabouts of Atem-_san _and Yuugi­-_kun_," he added, glancing at Mokuba for confirmation. The raven-haired preteen nodded affirmation as Seto was still occupied leveling his icy, but ineffective, glare at Bakura. The silence, brief as it had been, was broken by another knock on the door. This time the housekeeper opened the door and Yuugi and Atem came in.

"You're late!" Seto snapped immediately, the targets of his ire finally present for him to verbally flay. Yuugi at least had the grace to look mildly abashed; Atem merely lifted an eyebrow at the annoyed billionaire.

"I'm sorry, Seto-_san_, but we were held up at the last moment." Yuugi glanced at Atem and suppressed a smile at the slightly embarrassed tint to his other's cheeks. He did not elaborate further on just what had kept them occupied but from Atem's reaction it was clearly something the former pharaoh had managed to do – or to forget. Seto seemed only marginally mollified by this explanation and gestured irately at the other loveseat in the room for the pair to have a seat. Mokuba called for breakfast to be brought up. To his and everyone else's surprise it was Jounouchi who pushed the trolley into the room, his honeyed hair still tousled from sleep and his eyes likewise tired. He attempted a scowl at Seto.

"You said you'd wake me up!" he grumbled at his husband, glaring when the brunette merely smirked at him. In contrast to his sleepy guests Kaiba Seto appeared as immaculate as always, not even a single hair daring to stray out of place. He accepted the cup of coffee – a single spoon of sugar – from Jounouchi and sipped it casually, nodding at his soon-to-be colleagues to get something to eat. As with dinner Seto knew everyone's tastes well.

There was tea for Ryou and Yuugi, Earl Grey for the former and green for the latter. Bakura and Atem both preferred watered-down Egyptian wine – a leftover from their previous lives, in seemed – despite their respective _hikaris'_ best attempts to get them to drink anything else in the mornings. Mokuba preferred orange juice, as did Jounouchi, and Seto drank plenty of coffee. Only Ryou and Mokuba chose full breakfast dishes – omelets, rice, and miso soup: Seto had already eaten and everyone else was content with the varying pastries, Atem displaying a somewhat surprising sweet tooth in his choice of a hazelnut biscotti.

They all nibbled in silence for almost a quarter of an hour, each having glanced at the clock at least once to ascertain the time. As it drew closer to the time Dumbledore-_san_ had informed them their escort would arrive everyone, even the normally mellow Ryou, became a little edgy. It took a loud, comical sneeze from Jounouchi to break the palpable tension in the room. Attempting to conceal a smirk Seto offered his husband a handkerchief.

"I wonder what the students are like," Ryou mused thoughtfully aloud. Bakura, slumped against the couch and wishing he was still in bed, snorted. From the stern look Ryou directed at his _yami_ a moment later it was clear that Bakura had given him a mental response that was probably crude and more than likely uncalled for. "I doubt that, Bakura," Ryou replied out loud, shaking his head when the other occupants of the room gave him a questioning look.

Yuugi tilted his head to the side, finger pressed lightly to his lower lip as he gave serious thought to Ryou's voiced inquiry. "I would imagine they're like any other students, except that they can use magic," he said finally. "There will be people like Seto-_san_, good with studying and always eager to learn." He ignored the glare the CEO directed at him for daring to classify him into a category – Yuugi knew Seto was still not comfortable with the idea of magic.

"There will be the troublemakers and slackers too, _Aibou_," Atem spoke up, sipping casually from his wine glass and smirking faintly at his other when Yuugi gave the dark liquid a disapproving stare. "It might possibly be worse than a typical school because these children have all grown up together. It is entirely feasible that they will have associated in cliques and my experience is that groups of different people are rarely always amiable towards each other."

"I don't think it'll be that bad," Mokuba piped up suddenly. "I mean, everyone had to start out new at some point and Dumbledore­_-sensei_ said that the different houses get along much better now. I think it'll just take some getting used to. Besides," he added with a faint smirk of his own, "I think Bakura will be able to scare off anyone who tries to mess with him, and it'll translate over to everyone else." There was silence for a moment before a harsh bark of laughter drew everyone's attention to the aforementioned _yami_.

"Kid's got a point," Bakura remarked once he'd gotten his laughter under control. Though his tone was light and almost jovial no one missed the possessive way his arm curved around Ryou's waist. All assembled knew what would happen should anyone attempt to harm the gentle _hikari_. If something happened the best they could hope for would be damage control in the form of a certain former pharaoh. Then again… If anyone was cruel enough to want to hurt either _hikari_ no one really felt any sympathy towards said person when Atem and Bakura found out.

Before anyone could say anything to such a statement – not that there was much to really say at all – there was another knock at the door. Nearly all eyes went to the clock yet again: now it read precisely nine o'clock in the morning. Seto sniffed faintly.

"At least _some_ people know how to be on time," he muttered, striding over to the door and pulling it open. For a moment his mind didn't really process what he was seeing and then the logic that usually dictated his world kicked in. After nearly a full minute of thought he realized that the only answer to what he was staring at was that there was an extremely tall, extremely burly, extremely _hairy_ man standing at the door. Kaiba Seto was not a short individual – he typically towered over every other person in any room he was in – but even he had to look up at least a foot and a half to see the newcomer's eyes.

"Er… Hi," the giant man said, sounding mildly confused to be stared at for so long. Belatedly he recalled Professor Dumbledore's instructions and that these people had grown up in the Muggle world. Of course they would not be expecting a half giant. "Uh… You mus' be Seto Kaiba." He pronounced the foreign name with only a little difficulty. For a Japanese name Seto's was rather easy to vocalize. "So, uh, I'm Rubeus Hagrid, keeper o' the keys an' grounds at Hogwarts; call me Hagrid. Er, Professor Dumbledore sent me to show yer 'round Diagon Alley and get yer things…?" Finally, though mutely, Seto gestured for Hagrid to enter the room.

"I am Seto Kaiba," Seto affirmed as the half giant came in. Knowing Hagrid was English the CEO had purposefully reversed the order of his name. "You're speaking in English. I speak it, and I know Ryou speaks it, but most of the others here don't," he informed Hagrid dryly. He didn't invite the man to sit down but that was because he didn't think any of the chairs would hold the man. Their appointed escort didn't seem offended. He did, however, slap his forehead with a hand the size of a large ham.

"Ah, right. I fergot to put on the amulet. Lesse…" Apparently unconcerned with Seto's raised eyebrow and the Japanese words the blue-eyed man was now speaking to everyone else in the room Hagrid began digging in the multiple pockets of his coat. Mercifully he had already noticed the splendor of the room he was in and tried not to make a mess, though a few stray crumbs and odd-looking animal treats fell to the floor. Finally he tugged a ring out of a pocket and squeezed it onto a finger. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Er, how's tha'?" he asked. This time everyone in the room looked at him.

It was Yuugi who took pity on the foreign man. "If you're asking if we can understand you now, yes. We can." He grinned up at the groundskeeper. Hagrid found himself grinning back, Yuugi's sunny smile infectious. Yuugi got to his feet. "I'm Yuugi Mouto," he introduced himself. His English wasn't nearly as good as Seto's but he'd heard Seto give his name Western style and followed his example as he pointed to everyone else in turn and gave their names.

"I understand you are supposed to guide us to an area where we might purchase what we need for school?" Atem asked. For some reason Atem made Hagrid think of hot air and golden sand. The half giant inclined his head nonetheless and Atem, too, got to his feet. "Is there anything in particular that keeps us here? I would think it best if we started early," the former pharaoh finished, glancing around the room for any objections. Bakura looked like he might want to say something simply to annoy him but Ryou quickly stood, dispelling the possible argument before it could begin.

Hagrid nodded and looked around the room again, this time stilling his gaze on the fireplace and the various bags and suitcases piled near it. "Well, er, we'll be goin' by Floo since there's so many o' you. It'll be easier if I can shrink yer things," he added, wielding a pink, flowery umbrella now. Mistaking everyone's silence for trepidation he hastily tacked on a "It won't be permanent now! Jus' long enough fer us to get to the Leaky Cauldron where Mokuba will be stayin'. We can leave it there until I take yer to the castle an' all an' then I can make it right again."

This time it was Ryou who came to the floundering guide's rescue. "I'm sure it will be all right, Hagrid," he replied kindly. "Do what you need to do. So long as it is not permanent I'm sure everyone will be fine." Hagrid, a little apprehensive now, brandished his umbrella with a flourish and murmured something. Instantly the luggage vanished – or, at least, it appeared to have vanished. Closer inspection revealed that it had merely been shrunk. Mokuba approached and scooped everything up, eyes alight in wonder.

"Cool!" he exclaimed finally, showing his handful to his older brother. Seto stared at it without comment. "This must be really handy for travel," Mokuba said, rolling his eyes at his brother's lack of comment. "So, what's Floo?"

* * *

If he had his way he would never, _ever_ travel in such a manner ever again. It was _not_ dignified for a pharaoh to topple out of a hearth and onto the floor covered in soot, less so to have the tomb robber fall on top of him a moment later. Luckily he and Bakura were the last ones to come through the 'Floo'. Bakura grumbled something in hieratic and picked himself up off of Atem, brushing the dark ashes from his pale hair and pointedly _not_ looking at his _hikari_ – Ryou was trying his best to stifle laughter as he helped his _yami_ brush off the evidence of his tumble.

A slender hand presented itself to Atem. He didn't have to look up to know that his _aibou_ was smiling at him in a way that showed he was both concerned and faintly amused. Atem accepted the hand and allowed Yuugi to help him to his feet. Yuugi and Ryou had not fallen when exiting the hearth but, if the thoughts Yuugi presented to Atem through their mind link were any indication, it had been a near miss. No one dared say anything to Seto about the ash stains visible on the seat of his dark pants and Mokuba brushed black ash from his equally dark hair good-naturedly.

Hagrid hovered sheepishly in the background. "Er, sorry abou' tha'. I fergot that yeh might not have used Floo before and didna' warn yer about tha' firs' step comin' ou' o' the hearth…" Seeing the twin glares leveled at the giant from both Atem and Bakura, Yuugi stepped over to his _yami_ and murmured something soothing to him. Atem grumbled but relented, leaving Ryou to deal with Bakura. The pale-haired _hikari_ was best able to handle Bakura's homicidal tendencies.

A man named 'Tom' – apparently the proprietor of the inn – showed Mokuba to the room where he would stay while he waited for term to officially start in a few days. As promised Hagrid un-shrunk everyone's bags and left them in the room before taking them all out back to a brick-enclosed back yard. To everyone's surprise their guide went right up to the wall, took out his flowered umbrella, and began to count bricks. "Ah!" he announced when the point of the umbrella came to rest on one in particular. He tapped that one and stepped back as the bricks wriggled, convulsed, and then reshaped themselves into an archway that opened onto a cramped street lined with shops and full of people.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley!" he said cheerily to the new teachers and student. Only Seto was dignified enough to keep from gaping and even he eyed their destination with more than a hint of incredulous curiosity. Hagrid led them all through the archway, keeping a careful eye on the group. "Now I have the ring here ta let me un'erstand yer an' all but since only two of yer actually speaks English I need yer to all stick together," Hagrid informed them, leading them down the street. "Firs' place we'll be wantin' to go is Gringotts."

"Seto-_san_, are you sure that you're okay paying for –?" Yuugi began worriedly, ducking immediately to his _yami_'s other side when Seto glared at him from his superior height. "I was jus –" he attempted to elaborate only to have Seto cut him off.

"I told you already, Yuugi. I won't be associated with people who can't afford what they need," he said haughtily. Mokuba, listening in on the conversation, snorted. Ignoring his brother's warning look Mokuba skipped out of Seto's reach and grinned at Yuugi and Atem, remarking in a stage whisper his older brother was sure to hear.

"Niisama's just too shy to tell you that he doesn't want anyone to lack what they need. Besides, it's not like it's going to make much difference – we _are_ kinda rich, you know." Grinning at Seto, whose cheeks were suspiciously pink, Mokuba trotted to catch up to Hagrid so that he could bombard the groundskeeper with questions about Hogwarts. Yuugi, knowing better than to say anything else to Seto, turned his attention instead to Atem. He was surprised with the distracted way Atem kept shifting his gaze around as though the former pharaoh was looking for something but didn't know what.

'_Atem?'_ Yuugi mentally prodded his other, his worry growing when Atem didn't answer. _'Atem, what's wrong?'_ he tried again, this time adding a bit more force behind his thoughts. The equivalent was as if he'd raised his voice. Atem jumped a little and glanced at Yuugi, plainly startled.

'_Yes, _Aibou_? Is something the matter?'_

Yuugi rolled his eyes at Atem. _'You're acting a little spacey there, Atem. Is something bothering you?'_ To his surprise Atem did not answer right away. The _yami_ turned his attention once more to their surroundings, brow furrowing. It took him several moments before he seemed ready to elaborate.

'_Something feels strange here, Yuugi. There is an odd feel to the air…'_ Atem's lips pursed in his annoyance at being unable to discern what he was sensing. _'It is not the magical energies of these wizards that I am feeling,'_ he added before Yuugi could ask. _'It is not of our magic, either. It is foreign, and does not feel malevolent, but…'_

'_Magic can rarely ever be wholly good or evil, right Atem?'_ Yuugi finished for his other, spreading his senses outward in an effort to sense what his _yami_ was feeling. His eyes widened when he came across the foreign magic. _'You're right! But… I don't feel anything bad from it. I can't tell who it's coming from, either, but it doesn't feel like it's even really being used. It's just sorta…there.'_

Hearing his _aibou_'s thoughts on the matter allowed Atem to relax momentarily. "So long as you are certain," he said finally, trusting in Yuugi's calm judge of character. Atem fell silent after that and Yuugi, realizing that Atem wanted to think, pulled out of the pharaoh's mind to leave him be. With their minds casually detached for the time being it took Atem several minutes to realize that Yuugi was no longer walking next to him. His head jerked up in surprise, crimson eyes hurriedly scanning the crowds of people.

"_Aibou_?" he called, garnering a few strange looks but no reply. Growing concerned he tried his mind link only to find that Yuugi had closed it, wanting to give Atem privacy. If that wasn't bad enough Atem could no longer see Kaiba or anyone else. He bit his lip, wavering for a moment, before turning and plunging into the crowd. Yuugi may have closed their link but Atem could still follow it to find him. Ra help anyone who dared to harm his _aibou_.

* * *

_The end of chapter 3. This was supposed to encompass a lot of other things but I decided to end it here. Besides, this story isn't so much in demand, so I can take my time with creating new chapters._

_**Sensei: **__An honorific especially used for teachers or a person who is literally one's teacher in some hobby or job. The form is "Mary-sensei" which translates roughly into "Miss Mary" in the same way we would refer to a teacher.  
__**Niisama:**__ A very formal way of addressing one's older brother while still retaining the feeling of affection. You'll notice the –sama honorific, hopefully, and should connect it to the same level of respect as tacking –sama onto a person's name._

_Word count: 4,018_

_Kampai!  
AkizukiSakura_


	4. Meeting and Settling

**Title: **_Magical Alliance  
_**Author: **_AkizukiSakura  
_**Series: **_Yuugi-ou/Harry Potter/Cardcaptor Sakura  
_**Genre: **_Romance/Fantasy  
_**Rating: **_M/R  
_**Pairing(s): **_Yami no Yuugi/Yuugi, Bakura/Ryou, Scorpius/Sakura, others pending.  
_**Spoilers/Warnings: **_Since all three series referenced here are complete, let it be safe to assume that I might reference anything and everything. This is heavily plot divergent.  
_**Disclaimer: **_Yuugi-ou belongs to Takahashi Kazuki-san. Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling. Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to CLAMP. I own only the basic plot and make no monetary profit off this story.  
_**Summary: **_With Voldemort gone, the wizarding world was allowed to release its collective breath. The danger seems to be over. So why are people who aren't even associated with wizards having visions that pertain to the hidden, magical world?  
_**Notes: **_There are hints of pairings in this chapter that aren't listed above. Those will not change, either, but since they are not mentioned too much I deigned it unnecessary to list them under 'pairings'. __**It's been mentioned twice now that the Japanese words don't have to be italicized. However, as foreign words in a story, I've always been taught to italicize them – for example, Tamora Pierce italicizes foreign words in all of her books. **__I'd really like it if everyone read the author's notes at the end, too._

_Italicized words represent thoughts unless they're in Japanese. Foreign words will be italicized as well as honorifics._

'…' _represents telepathic communication.  
_"…" _(non-italicized) represent spoken words.  
Any necessary translations will be at the end of each chapter. _

* * *

**Chapter 4: **_Meeting and Settling_

Still Yuugi's end of the link was closed and Atem didn't know why. Was Yuugi oblivious to his worry now? Atem appreciated that his lovable _aibou_ had given him privacy to think without having to worry about the stray thoughts that crossed their link but what could Yuugi be doing that kept him from noticing just how worried his _yami_ was getting?

Atem was no longer concerned with the fact that it would be hell trying to find Kaiba and the others later – Yuugi was and would always remain his first priority, even beyond his own safety. Passing a shop with caged animals on display, and another that appeared to be a tiny bookstore, Atem could still find no signs of his elusive _hikari_. He persisted in following the mental link and it was only slightly reassuring that it had not weakened. Wherever Yuugi was Atem knew his other was conscious and well… At least for now.

* * *

At first he hadn't realized he'd been separated from everyone. After closing the mental link with his _yami_ Yuugi had turned his attention outward on all of the fascinating stores they were passing, violet eyes wide and curious. Some places, like "Flourish and Blotts", seemed completely normal in the sense that it sold books – and there was a stationery shop right next door that might have been normal had it not advertised things like "Color-changing Ink! Write in a Veritable Rainbow of Colors With Each Stroke of the Quill!" Others, like "Quality Quidditch Supplies", sold items that Yuugi didn't quite know what to think of. The brooms on display were not what Yuugi imagined when he thought of witches flying through the night.

It was only upon reaching what looked like an ice cream parlor that Yuugi discovered he didn't know any of the people around him. Starting in shock he gazed hurriedly about in the hopes of locating Hagrid or Seto, as they were the tallest in their group and thus the easiest to spot. Failing to do so Yuugi automatically reached for his link to his _yami_. Before he could lower the wall he'd erected to give Atem privacy, however, someone knocked into him. With a cry of shock he lost his grip on the mental link and went tumbling down to the cobbled stones of a side alley, landing hard on his side and scraping his palms. He sat up carefully, wincing at the throbbing in the arm he'd fallen on, and looked up into very cold black eyes.

"Standing in a daze near Knockturn Alley is…unwise," the man – for male he was – drawled bitingly and then, to Yuugi's utter surprise, offered a pale hand down to the fallen youth. Shakily Yuugi allowed the man to pull him to his feet. A jolt of _something_ darted through him at the contact and he hastily dropped the man's hand, stepping back and rubbing his fingers. The man's lips tightened as he, too, cradled a hand still tingling with the odd sensation. "What was that?" he demanded icily of the youth, dark eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Yuugi had no clue what the man was saying to him, though his tone was very similar to Seto's when the CEO was irked about something. "I don't speak English," Yuugi said in Japanese with a sigh, expecting that this man wouldn't understand him but would at least realize Yuugi couldn't understand what he was saying, either. The man's brows rose in surprise.

"Well, I suppose it is fortunate that _I_ speak and understand _Japanese_," he replied in the same language, shocking the Japanese youth yet again. He was scrutinizing Yuugi now, still cradling his hand – since Yuugi's hand had stopped tingling, though, the younger suspected that this man's would be fine, too. "You didn't answer my question," the man said finally.

Yuugi barely refrained from rolling his eyes but his expression must have conveyed his mild irritation – how in the gods' names was he supposed to answer a question if it was spoken in a language he didn't understand? Strangely enough the other man seemed more amused than angry. In spite of the other's foreboding appearance Yuugi found a small smile alighting on his lips and was relieved when the man offered a smirk in return; this man definitely reminded him of Seto, though perhaps with a sense of humor that showed a tiny bit easier than the CEO's. Yuugi bowed formally.

"I'm Mouto Yuugi," he introduced himself. "I'm sorry I was…um…occupied and in your way." He floundered a moment for the right words to describe what he was doing without the other man looking at him like he was crazy. The bow the man returned was distinctly British and slightly mocking but Yuugi took no offense to it – if anything it was his turn to show mild amusement in a faint smirk.

"So, Mouto-_san_," the man began, noting with amusement that Yuugi seemed surprised and pleased by the cultural way the man addressed him, "my question was: What was that? I do not believe I have ever received such a…shock when offering my assistance to a fallen boy, rare as the occasion may be." Yuugi tilted his head to one side, one hand rising automatically to his chin in thought.

"I don't really know," he said after several moments, clearly baffled. "Oh, and please call me Yuugi. This is the United Kingdom, not Japan." The man inclined his head in compliance. "I'm not sure what it was. Maybe it was…" _a strange clash of our different magics? _Yuugi started to say. He paused halfway through the speculation, though, peering through his long eyelashes up at the man scrutinizing him. Something in his mind warned him that it might not be such a brilliant idea to suggest to random strangers that his magic was different. Instead he shook his head. "I don't really know," he finished with a shrug, turning his impossibly purple gaze up to the taller man's.

This stranger wasn't as tall as Seto, Yuugi was slightly amused to note, but this man bore the same hands-off aura that Seto did and carried himself with the same air of arrogance. He was older than Yuugi, too – though nowhere near as old as Atem, if one counted the three thousand years of imprisonment. He gave off the same world-weary vibe as the former Spirit of the Puzzle did, though. It was a little strange.

To Yuugi's surprise the man stepped further into the alley and began to walk. If he hadn't glanced over his shoulder at Yuugi, a curious invitation present on his coal-black eyes, the youth would have thought he was being ignored. Instead Yuugi followed, cautious but sure that this man meant no harm. He fell into step beside the man, having to work a little harder to keep up. "What do _you_ think it was?" he asked finally, as though this was nothing more than a scholarly debate. Obsidian eyes glanced back down at him, obviously picking up the air of curiosity around his younger acquaintance.

"A reaction," he said simply, stopping at a stall that looked to be selling jars of very strange ingredients. "Though of what, I don't know." Seeing Yuugi giving everything an intrigued look the man relaxed a little bit, his suspicions about this foreign youth lightening just slightly. Yuugi was likely a new student, if his reactions to basic potions ingredients were anything to go on – though why a clearly Japanese boy was here in Great Britain was beyond him. Yuugi certainly didn't _act_ like he recognized anything in this stall.

"These are typically used in various potions," he answered the youth's unspoken inquiry. When Yuugi blinked up at him, clearly wanting more information, the man sighed almost agitatedly. "I –" he began, only to cut his comment off sharply when Yuugi abruptly stiffened, his amethyst gaze taking on a strangely blank cast. Instantly the man's guard was up, for the expression was eerily similar to that of a victim of the Imperius Curse.

Suddenly Yuugi snapped out of it, his countenance now sheepish as he turned away and gazed back down the way they'd come as though expecting someone. Several tense moments later another young man dashed around the corner of the alley, caught sight of Yuugi, scowled darkly, and hurried over to him.

Releasing the wand hidden in his robes the stranger observed this newcomer in silence, taking in the similarities between him and Yuugi. Both had hair that looked as though it belonged in some Muggle punk-rock group, though the newcomer's bore more gold in it than did Yuugi's. The newcomer – who was now lecturing Yuugi in Japanese on the hazards of wandering off alone in a foreign place – seemed a bit older, though. Perhaps it was the height difference – though the newcomer barely topped Yuugi by an inch or two – or perhaps it was the self-confidence that this new young man gave off in palpable waves.

Their eyes, however, were probably the most striking in their differences: Where Yuugi's were large, round, and an almost improbable shade of vivid purple this man's were narrowed, angled in an almost exotic tilt, and a deep scarlet in color. Also, where Yuugi gave off an aura of light and sunshine and spring this new youth was almost his opposite, his aura an organized mass of shadows and winter. Despite this personification, however, the man had the strangest feeling that Yuugi was like the moon and his new companion like the burning sun – perhaps it was because Yuugi was the color of soft, white beach sand and the newcomer was the darker bronze of sun-streaked desert dunes. It was all very startling.

Yuugi suddenly turned sheepishly to the man he'd followed down the alley. "Ah, I'm very sorry," he apologized. "I was with a group and got separated, and I hadn't realized I'd…" he hesitated a moment and glanced at his companion. This time both of their eyes went rather blank before they both looked back at the taller stranger, Yuugi still rather embarrassed and the other clearly mistrustful. "I hadn't realized I'd gotten separated," he finished, though the man had the feeling that wasn't what he'd initially meant to say.

The newcomer was leveling a strangely dark glower at him now and had wrapped possessive, slender fingers around Yuugi's equally small wrist, the contrast in their skin apparent. He tugged faintly, earning an exasperated look from Yuugi, who turned and bowed contritely. "I have to go. Atem is being rather…" he didn't finish the statement but his meaning was clear without elaboration from the way his older double seemed adamant that they leave. The newly-dubbed 'Atem' gave Yuugi's new _friend_ another irate stare from burning crimson eyes before tugging the youth off.

It wasn't until Yuugi and Atem had finally relocated Hagrid and the rest of their group – both meekly bearing a scolding from the half-giant for wandering off – that Yuugi realized something important.

"He never gave me his name…"

* * *

Changing Japanese yen to the wizarding currency – Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts – didn't take as long as Seto had expected when he'd found a lack of computers in the bank. Even more shocking were the creatures that actually _ran_ the facility. They had seemed to realize his mistrust of them and had apparently taken great delight in making him uncomfortable; to get back at them he'd named a sum far greater than the one he'd initially meant to give them to convert – he'd tacked on about four extra zeros at the last moment – just to see their reactions to his apparent wealth.

The fact that both Atem and Yuugi were decked in a decent amount of jewelry between them – Yuugi's in silver and Atem's in gold – didn't seem to help matters. It was a very smug Seto and his resigned companions who finally left the bank. Hagrid, usually so open and chatty, had wisely decided to say nothing of the proceedings to the CEO despite obviously bursting to do so.

Everyone decided it would be best to get Mokuba situated first and that they could get what they would need by going down his list. Obviously everyone needed wands but they would also need clothing to wear. Dumbledore had been rather implicit that they all wear robes – they didn't have to be black but he did want his teachers dressed properly. Yuugi and Atem had both sulked over their loss of leather until Ryou had suggested they merely wear the robes over their usual apparel.

Yuugi, Atem, Ryou, and Seto – as new teachers – also needed to purchase a decent stockpile of wizarding office supplies and would need to search through Flourish and Blotts for appropriate textbooks for each grade level of students. Hagrid was firm, however, in the fact that they should go get wands first and foremost and then they could split up to explore Diagon Alley.

Since Mokuba was a new student Ollivander, the owner of the "best wand shop arou'" according to Hagrid, said that he would start with the youngest of their group. They watched in somewhat stunned amusement as the ancient man demanded Mokuba's "wand hand" and began to take measurements. Since the wandmaker kept talking it took most of them several moments to realize that the tape measure was doing its job on its own.

Getting wands after that seemed to be a trial-and-error situation that ended with a number of bent boxes, broken vases, scorched stones, and one memorable incident in Yuugi's case where he'd managed to light the tip of Ollivander's robes on fire. Finally everyone received a wand, Ryou's taking the least amount of time and Seto's taking the longest. It ended up thus:

Yuugi: A surprisingly long wand of fifteen and a quarter inches that was made of willow with a phoenix-feather core. "Good for Charms," Ollivander remarked.

Atem: Long, but not as long as Yuugi's, at thirteen inches even, made of acacia wood with a dragon heartstring core. "A powerful wand suited for Transfiguration," Ollivander pronounced immediately.

Ryou: Mahogany, with a unicorn-hair core, the shortest wand at eleven and three quarters of an inch. "A quiet wand with the potential to do great things," the wandmaker intoned solemnly.

Bakura: "A good, solid wand meant for power. A stubborn wand," Ollivander remarked of the twelve and a half inch oaken wand also with a phoenix-feather core.

Mokuba: Slightly longer than Bakura's, at twelve and three quarters inches, Ollivander mused that this wand was "not overly abundant at any particular subject but has the potential to turn to defensive spellwork." This wand, too, boasted a dragon heartstring core and was made of mahogany.

Seto: "A difficult person to place. It shows in the wand that chose you, too. A wand meant more to have rather than to be used, though certainly powerful," Ollivander informed Seto of his thirteen and a half inch cherry wood wand with a phoenix-feather core.

Tiring of the silver-eyed man's endless comments Seto had snorted at Ollivander in the end and paid the wandmaker, obviously not putting too much stock into the old man's words. As though used to this attitude Ollivander gave Seto a hard look but said nothing. To everyone's surprise Seto seemed slightly unnerved by the opaque stare and was the first one to exit the dusty shop.

By the time the group had reached Flourish and Blotts to select textbooks and get Mokuba's required reading Seto was back to his normal, cynical self. The store had a remarkably well-stocked selection of books on various subjects that were organized by subject. After selecting the appropriate textbooks – for there was a section specifically for school textbooks – the group broke up to peruse the other books. No one was really very surprised when Yuugi ended up taking the most books to read, though Ryou had a rather impressive selection as well and even Seto had picked up a volume or two other than the textbooks he'd chosen for his students.

"I have to know my subject to teach it," Yuugi defended when Atem teased him about the stack of books Hagrid had mercifully shrunk to fit in his pocket – though Yuugi had kept one of them and was reading it as they walked, Atem's grip on his elbow keeping the younger duelist from any mishaps.

It was as they were casually exploring the Alley that they passed a magical menagerie. Yuugi and Atem saw the kitten at the exact same time. They glanced at each other, broke into matching grins, and immediately went inside – Seto grumbled at the delay but softened under the brown eyes of a small golden puppy. He resisted for all of twenty seconds before, muttering, entering the shop after his two rivals. A shop assistant went to the large display window, removed the kitten and the puppy, and ten minutes later all three came back out, Yuugi and Seto bearing a travel case each and Atem two bags of supplies. The former pharaoh had been gracious enough – meaning Yuugi had used The Eyes on him – to carry Seto's as well.

"Kumo," Yuugi and Atem replied in unison, flashing swift smiles at each other, when Mokuba asked what they were going to call the cat, an Egyptian Mau. No one dared to ask Seto what the golden puppy's name would be – the assistant said it didn't have a specific pedigree – and there was really no need. Seto was going to be without his husband for a while, after all.

They spent the rest of the day exploring Diagon Alley before Hagrid suggested that they return to the Leaky Cauldron, as Mokuba would be spending the next few days there and everyone else was expected at the castle for dinner and to settle in. No one said anything but Yuugi suddenly announced a desire to explore the inn to Hagrid, expressing curiosity. A significant look from lavender eyes between Mokuba and Seto had Ryou dragging Bakura off to find somewhere to be for the next ten minutes. Atem followed Yuugi more sedately, leaving the Kaiba siblings to a moment of privacy in the younger one's room.

Taking advantage of the lack of audience Seto pulled his younger brother into a loose hug. The raven-haired youth returned the embrace. Neither of them spoke for the moment before Seto broke the silence. "Stay out of trouble," he instructed his little brother. "Don't wander into any suspicious shops and make sure you spend your money wisely. Apparently we're expected to ride the train from the school to the station and back because the headmaster wants us to, since we're new teachers, so you won't be alone on the train."

Only in the sanctuary of his brother's arms did Mokuba allow his frame to sag with nervousness. Even so, however, he grinned up at Seto. "Try not to make people too mad at you, Niisama," he instructed mock seriously. He was rewarded with Seto's faint smirk and a tousling of his long black hair. Mokuba stepped out of his brother's embrace just as the rest of their companions drifted back into the room, Yuugi wearing a knowing smile that irritated Seto. Hagrid stumped into the room last, a familiar bag held in one humongous hand.

"Professor Dumbledore linked the fireplace in the room 'side the Great Hall at the castle to the Floo Network for just ten minutes so yeh kin all get to the castle tonight," he said Everyone else hid a smile at the glare both Bakura and Atem were leveling at the innocent-looking leather bag Hagrid carried; if the pharaoh and tomb-robber only knew how remarkably similar they looked right then…

Seto's expression was carefully blank and both Yuugi and Ryou looked amused. Hagrid coughed faintly. "Everyone got everythin'?" he asked, waiting for everyone to check their bags before he shrank them once more. He tossed a good handful of powder into the grate; emerald flames sprang up instantly and, one after another, the newcomers to Hogwarts' staff stepped into the fire and were whisked away.

* * *

Ryou's initial impression of Hogwarts was, first and foremost, of a British castle built probably in the thirteen or fourteen hundreds. In spite of its ancient state, however, the slight youth could tell that the magic flowing through the castle kept it in good shape and that the castle itself seemed almost sentient in the way curls and tendrils of its magic seemed to shape lightly around the newcomers. Ryou wasn't surprised that he could see the magic moving – his dueling deck was built on an occult theme from his experiences with such things, after all – and he observed how the castle reacted to everyone.

It brushed over him with the air of a mother inspecting a child's new playmate and seemed to find him suitable for he was connected to a web of magic that was so light he could barely feel it and probably would not have known it had happened had he not been watching. The castle was more wary of his _yami_ and, from the expression on Bakura's face, the castle had every right to be; in the end it curled only a single tendril of magic around Bakura's wrist.

The castle seemed equally wary about Seto and was just as unobtrusive about the way it welcomed the new Arithmancy teacher, perhaps even less so for the thin thread of magic it attached to Seto wrapped lightly around the billionaire's finger and settled with that minimal contact. Atem received an interested pulse of magic from the castle that the ancient pharaoh, after a moment of surprised blinking, welcomed; like it had done to Ryou the castle layered a web of magical energy over Atem.

It was the castle's reaction to Yuugi that surprised Ryou the most. Unlike the tentative probes the castle had given everyone else, this time the magic spread thickly into a blanket of soothing spells and welcome and wrapped the former bearer of the Sennen Puzzle in a cocoon of protection and tenderness that was almost motherly in nature. Ryou expected Yuugi to become nervous. Instead the youth blinked once in surprise before laying a hand briefly on the chilled stones of the castle wall with a small, gentle smile. Ryou felt the castle nearly _hum_ its pleasure at the contact. Well, well… This was certainly a new development…

Seto and Bakura's trials aside, it seemed as though Hogwarts had accepted the new teachers and caretaker.

"Oh, Hagrid, you've brought them," a new voice spoke up as the door to the antechamber opened. The voice clearly belonged to a woman, most likely an aged woman, but it bore a strictly no-nonsense tone that instantly pegged the woman as the type of teacher that cared deeply for her students without mollycoddling them. When she became visible Ryou looked her over carefully.

'_Isn't she a bit old for you, my former host?'_ Bakura's voice spoke up in Ryou's mind, startling the youth. Against his will a blush rose to his cheeks even as he rolled his eyes at his lover.

'_My thoughts were nowhere near the road you implied they had wandered down, Bakura,'_ Ryou rebuked calmly, ignoring his other's amusement as it flooded their link. It had taken several years for Ryou to fully comprehend Bakura's personality and several months after that to realize that Bakura teased him because he actually liked Ryou. He was able to speak more freely to Bakura now and able to distinguish between his _yami_'s truly hurtful insults and the words he spoke as habit.

'_As long as you know whom you belong to, _hikari_ mine,'_ Bakura sent to his lover, grinning when the youth colored up again. _'Or do I need to reassert my dominance in our new rooms…?' _Bakura purred, amber eyes dancing wickedly. Ryou bit his lip to suppress a rather embarrassing moan at the dark promise and forced his attention back onto the woman in time for her to introduce herself.

"…Minerva McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher here at Hogwarts. I am also the Head of Gryffindor House and the Deputy Headmistress. I have been given the task of making sure you are all escorted properly to your rooms." She waited a moment for Seto to translate what she'd said to Yuugi, Atem, and Bakura. McGonagall glanced at Hagrid, who was lingering uncertainly by the door. "Hagrid is our groundskeeper, as I'm sure he mentioned, and also our Care of Magical Creatures teacher. Hagrid, why don't you take our new caretaker and Divination teacher to their rooms?" Ryou, seeing Hagrid's expression light up and the faint smile the older woman hid, knew instantly that Minerva had a soft spot for the likable half-giant.

He didn't have much more time to ponder on this teacher, though, for he was soon taken with Bakura out into the castle, the groundskeeper pointing out various things to watch out for as he showed them they way. Shaking his head – vanishing stairs and moving portraits seemed to be normal here – Ryou paid more attention to the route, translating the hazards to his other as Bakura did not speak much English beyond a few colorful phrases. Knowing they were lovers Dumbledore had arranged for Ryou and Bakura to share a set of rooms that included a bathroom, bedroom, and living area under the promise that they would "behave".

Back in the antechamber Minerva was speaking to Seto, Yuugi, and Atem. "Since Seto's rooms are farther and a bit more complicated to reach I'll show him the way." She ignored the glare the blue-eyed man directed at her for addressing him by his first name. "Yuugi, Atem, if you go up the grand staircase your rooms are on the second floor." She then proceeded to give them directions, which Seto had to translate to them, on which hallways to take until Yuugi was hopelessly confused. "If you end up not knowing which way to go, _stay where you are_. I will be returning downstairs shortly to escort you if you still have not located your rooms."

Atem nodded – Yuugi only blinked between the Deputy Headmistress and his _yami_. Hoping that Atem knew the right way to go they watched as Minerva led Seto out of the room.

In the time it took for Minerva to show Seto to the Arithmancy classroom in one of the northern towers and the rooms adjoined to it – for the classroom connected to his office and his office connected to the living room of his suite – Seto became very annoyed by the brisk woman. Every time she addressed him by name he glared at her and every time he did so she ignored him until, finally, she stopped outside the door to his rooms.

"Professor Kaiba, you are no longer in Japan," she informed him dryly. "Here you will be addressed as 'Professor' by your students and 'Seto' by your associates. You are a teacher here, just as we all are, no better or worse than anyone else. Please refrain from glowering at me like a petulant child denied a biscuit every time I address you." With that Seto decided that he really detested this woman for her complete lack of respect for his wealth. Recalling his younger brother's words, though, Seto kept himself from saying anything for the moment. His teeth ground audibly with the effort.

Finally Minerva presented him with a map of the commonly used areas of the castle; a list of students who would be in each of his classes, organized by year; and another list for each year of students with what they should learn by the end of the term. "I expect your syllabus by the start of term and I need a list of the textbooks you chose so that I may place the appropriate order to Flourish and Blotts," she concluded. Stiffly he handed her a list of the books he'd decided on – Hagrid had suggested they write everything down – accepted the keys to his classroom, office, and suite, and bid the insufferable woman a frosty good night.

"Well!" Minerva remarked to thin air as she stared at the closed door. "I didn't know that Severus had a Japanese twin!"

* * *

'_Atem… I think we're lost,'_ Yuugi sent to his _yami_ after they'd been walking for almost a quarter of an hour. _'And somehow I feel like we're moving lower, not higher…'_

"We are _not_ lost, _Aibou_," Atem replied out loud, glaring at the portraits who watched their progress in silent curiosity. _'And you have been spending entirely too much time with the tomb-robber if you know when we are descending,' _he added grumpily. Yuugi was tempted to point out that a person not knowing where they were or how to get where they were going was classified as being lost and that he was _not _spending too much time with Bakura but Atem had started muttering under his breath in hieratic in his frustration. Wisely Yuugi decided to keep his comments to himself.

It took another ten minutes of walking for Atem to growl an expletive – again in hieratic – under his breath. He leaned irately against a wall, glaring through his bangs at the endless hallway before them. "You know, _Aibou_, I think you may be – ack!" Atem started to grudgingly admit to being the _slightest_ bit turned around – a pharaoh did _not_ get lost, especially in a _castle_ of all places – when the wall behind him dissolved long enough for him to fall through before becoming solid again. Yuugi gaped at the place his other had just been standing.

"Atem?!" he exclaimed, startled and afraid. When there was no answer he tried their mental link instead. _'Atem? Atem, where are you?'_

It was several moments before his _yami_ replied, long enough for Yuugi to begin to fret. _'I…am not sure, Yuugi. The air feels different here, though – I think I have somehow been transported to a much higher area than you. I will try to find a way back down by following our link, as I did this afternoon. Do nothing rash, _Aibou_'_, Atem warned. Even through his worry Yuugi smiled, touched by Atem's concern.

'_I promise to be careful, Atem,'_ he replied before allowing his side of the link to fall silent, figuring that Atem would be better able to follow it without distraction. This time, however, he did not put up a mental barrier. It was tempting for Yuugi to keep walking along until he was able to find something that might be helpful but Yuugi lingered a moment in front of the strange vanishing wall. Like a cat it seemed quite contrary for, no matter how Yuugi pushed on it, the wall did not seem inclined to open for him like it had for Atem.

A hand suddenly clamping down on his shoulder shocked Yuugi enough that Atem was instantly in his mind to figure out what was wrong. Turning to see his assailant the thoughts Yuugi had been about to send to Atem faded into his astonishment. Yuugi's violet eyes went wide in surprise.

"You!" he gasped in shock, peering up into jet black eyes. The man he'd met in Diagon Alley stared down at him, his expression unreadable for several long moments. He did not release Yuugi's shoulder.

"Yuugi," he greeted coolly, his voice no more telling than his expression. "Would you mind explaining yourself?" he asked, sliding his hand down to grip the youth's bicep to tug him along. "I would very much like to know how you ended up in the dungeon so close to my office when I had assumed you to be a new student upon meeting you in Knockturn Alley."

Yuugi, stumbling to keep up with the man's long strides, felt a prickle of annoyance for being termed a child yet again by someone who didn't know him. He muttered something in Japanese that the man pretended not to hear, though it was certainly not flattering and was probably a phrase Yuugi had picked up from Jounouchi. "I'm not a student, I'm a teacher," Yuugi said indignantly. The man lifted a doubtful eyebrow at him before he opened a door and pulled Yuugi inside. Yuugi recognized it to be something like an office in the moments he had to examine the room before the man pressed him down into a chair and leaned against the large mahogany desk to scrutinize Yuugi, folding his arms over his chest. For some reason it felt like that dark gaze was driving deeply into his mind.

"You are a professor here," the man deadpanned in disbelief. Yuugi's cheeks colored darkly, knowing that the man was taking his hair and leather attire into consideration along with his stature and youthful appearance. About to reply to the man Yuugi paused to address Atem – the pharaoh was insistent in the back of his mind as he tried to figure out what had startled Yuugi.

'_It's all right, Atem. I was just surprised because someone came up behind me. It's that man I met earlier today,'_ Yuugi started, trying to soothe his other. To his surprise it only seemed to worry Atem more.

'_Yuugi, I told you to stay away from that man! There is a strange aura of darkness around him that puzzles and worries me, faded though it is. I –'_

'_I appreciate your worry, Atem, but I can take care of myself,'_ Yuugi interrupted, his mind-voice surprisingly cool. He felt Atem's surprise and mild hurt at being replied to in such a manner. Yuugi immediately felt appalled to have allowed his temper to flare up at his _yami_ of all people. _'Atem… It's all right. Trust me, okay?'_ It was the one request Atem could never deny his _aibou_. Yuugi felt his other's resignation through their link but Atem quieted down, leaving Yuugi to deal with the man now waving a hand in front of his face. Yuugi blinked to clear his sight and looked up at the man.

"Ah… I'm sorry… Yes, I am. Dumbledore-_sensei_ hired me and four of my friends to fill in positions that this school needed." Correctly interpreting the man's expression Yuugi shrugged and offered him a warm smile. "I'm not really sure why, either, only that he told me he wanted me to take the job of History of Magic teacher." Yuugi tilted his head, gauging the other man. The man shifted uncomfortably under Yuugi's innocent-yet-knowing violet gaze. "From your reaction, may I guess you're a teacher here as well?" Yuugi asked finally. "And I would very much like to know your name, since I didn't get it earlier."

The man was scrutinizing Yuugi again. He stayed silent long enough for Yuugi to consider asking again before replying, somewhat tersely, "Severus Snape. I'm the Potions professor here at Hogwarts." Yuugi instantly perked up.

"Potions? Really? I'm new to this world but some of the books I bought from…um…" Yuugi had to think for several moments before he could recall the name of the store. "Flourish and Blotts! Anyway, Seto translated to the clerk for us that we didn't read English so he charmed our books to read in Japanese until we could. Hagrid-_san_ said that Dumbledore-_sensei _would give us charmed amulets so that we could understand the students and they could understand us but Ryou and Seto are going to help us improve our English, since I never really had time to study because of Marik and Doma and…um…"

Realizing he was babbling, a fact made more obvious by the dark eyebrow that cranked steadily upward on Severus' face with each word Yuugi uttered, the gamer flushed and coughed slightly. "What I _meant_ was that I was reading some of the books and Potions seems absolutely _fascinating_!" he finished finally, to Severus' obvious surprise. The dour man gave him a long, hard look, trying to decide if Yuugi was mocking him. Finding nothing in the youth's gaze to suggest anything but sincerity Severus fingered the heavy arch of his nose in thought.

"Have you ever actually brewed a potion before, Yuugi?" he asked finally, clearly surprising the youth. Even so Yuugi shook his head in denial. "Well, perhaps I could –" Severus began only to be cut off when the flames in his grate flickered to life and Minerva hastily stepped out.

"Severus, thank goodness. It seems I've managed to lose…" her gaze fell upon Yuugi, who blinked uncomprehendingly back at the Transfiguration professor. He did recognize the relief in her eyes, though he could only tilt his head when she began to speak to him in rapid English. It took Severus' amused reminder to the woman for her to recall that Yuugi could not understand her. Flushing lightly she came over and dropped a long necklace around his neck.

"How about now? Can you understand me?" she asked. Yuugi was surprised to realize that he could and said as much, drawing a smile from the usually strict woman. "That amulet will act as a magical translator for the time being," she explained. "Hagrid will have given one to Bakura and neither Seto" her lips twisted a little at the mention of the CEO and Yuugi hid a smile; Seto had that effect on people "nor Ryou need one. Albus sent one to Mr. Kaiba earlier this evening," she added, obviously referring to Mokuba at the end. She handed Yuugi another necklace. Like the one she'd dropped around his neck the amulet on this one was a small black opal hung on a fine gold chain.

"For Atem, right?" Yuugi asked. Minerva nodded, pleased that he'd understood so quickly. A moment later she glanced around, the question clear in her eyes. Yuugi turned his gaze upward. "Ah, Atem and I got separated… There was a wall that vanished, and he was leaning against it…" Minerva sighed and shook her head, knowing instantly which wall Yuugi was speaking of. She really shouldn't have let them go off alone but Albus had instructed her to do so – that man could be such an annoying enigma at times, really...

"He'll have ended up in the Astronomy Tower. I do hope he hasn't gone too far… I'll have to go look for him…" the Transfiguration professor sighed. Yuugi idly handed the necklace back to Minerva seeing as how she'd end up finding Atem before he did.

'_Atem? Minerva-_san_ knows where you are, or at least where you ended up. Don't wander anywhere she can't find you, okay?'_ Atem didn't reply but he sent the feeling of understanding along to his _aibou_. Yuugi smiled up at Minerva.

"He won't stray too far, Minerva-_san_," Yuugi informed the woman. Both Severus and Minerva stared at him. Knowing why they were looking at him Yuugi only shrugged. "Intuition," he added calmly, refusing to elaborate further on the bond he shared with his other.

"Well… If…if you say so, Yuugi. I shall go find him, then. Severus, their rooms, do you…?" The potions professor nodded.

"I will be certain to show him the way there, Minerva," he promised. The Deputy Headmistress nodded gratefully before stepping back into the fire. It died down as soon as she'd gone, leaving Yuugi to stare thoughtfully at the grate.

"Severus-_san_, Hagrid-_san_ mentioned that the Floo Network would only be open to the castle for a short time. How was Minerva-_san_ able to…?" Yuugi questioned the older man. Severus pushed his long curtain of hair from his face idly.

"The castle is set up under its own Network," he explained. "It can be accessed by a person placing just their head in the fire to send a message but otherwise it is not connected to the full Network. However, the hearths here are all connected in case of an emergency. Now, before we were interrupted, I wished to offer some of my time. Would you like to learn to brew potions?" Yuugi's bright smile was answer enough.

Normally Severus detested teaching but there was something about Yuugi that suggested to him that this student might be different from his others. It would surely merit a little of his time to see if the new History of Magic teacher was worth his attention.

* * *

It confused Atem that Yuugi's earlier dismissal of his concern had hurt so much. His _aibou_ had instantly returned to soften his words but Atem did not understand why the idea that Yuugi was in that man's presence bothered him so much. It was equally baffling that Yuugi seemed to like it in the same way that he liked to be around Atem.

Yuugi enjoyed being around his friends, of course, but this excitement was different. It wasn't to say that Anzu, Jounouchi, Honda, and even Ryou were unintelligent but Yuugi always seemed more intense when he was around Atem or Seto. Atem knew that Yuugi loved to learn and that, while he loved his friends dearly, only Atem and Seto – and occasionally Mokuba – were able to offer him the intellectual side of a conversation that he could not get from his other friends. Now that Yuugi was with this other man Atem sensed that same excitement.

_What is the matter with me?_ Atem wondered, annoyed with himself as he walked along the corridor. He was careful not to make any turns, tempting though they were, for he did not wish to spend the night following the link back to Yuugi if Minerva was on her way up. In the mean time he could puzzle out the strange feelings that had shot through him. _I recognize this feeling as jealousy… But why am I concerned? Yuugi feels the same emotion with Kaiba, but only with this professor do I feel…_ What did his feel beyond jealousy? He felt threatened… Perhaps a little insecure.

Atem stopped indignantly with the realization. _I _am_ jealous of that man!_ It was inconceivable. He was Pharaoh – perhaps no longer truly the ruler of Egypt but he was still the Son of Ra by birth – and he was jealous over a mortal man with sallow skin and oily hair! _Why? Why am I…? When with Kaiba…?_

The answer hit him rather suddenly. _…because with Kaiba I realize that there is no chance he would ever harm Yuugi. I do not like the darkness I feel from this Severus Snape…_ Even so Yuugi had asked Atem to trust him. Atem could not break that promise – not to his _aibou_. Irately driving a hand through his unruly hair Atem kept walking, half of his attention on where he was going. It wasn't until he'd reached a stone archway and stepped outside that he saw he'd managed to meander to the battlements. Leaning onto the stone wall Atem let the chilled autumn breeze tug at his hair.

"If that is what he wishes, I will not meddle unless it becomes dangerous," he said to the night air, relaxing against the stone and turning his attention to the castle grounds. During the day he supposed he might have been quite overwhelmed by the size. It had been some time since he'd dwelled in a palace, after all. In the moonlight, however, the grounds seemed smaller and more contained. A lake shone silver under the dancing moonbeams, the pearly luminescence sliding over the contours of the castle and highlighting it prettily against the night backdrop. All in all it was quite the lovely sight.

Despite the view, however, Atem couldn't help but regret that Yuugi wasn't up here to see it with him and resolved to bring his _aibou_ out one night for this. If Atem was the Son of Ra, the sun, then Yuugi was a child of the moon – he was certainly fascinated by the moon and stars enough to be. Smiling faintly Atem stayed there lost in thoughts until Minerva found him a quarter of an hour later and led him back inside.

He and Yuugi had separate rooms but they were side by side, something Atem had wanted to request of the headmaster but had never got around to doing so. He chose not to dwell on the matter, instead listening patiently as Minerva explained where their classrooms were. As with Seto she gave Atem a map, paperwork to fill out regarding his syllabus, a list of student names, and asked for the books he'd chosen. She also gave him Yuugi's paperwork and he was able to tell her what books Yuugi had chosen through their mind link.

Both Severus and Minerva were a little unnerved, Severus because Yuugi suddenly pulled out his list of books to mentally list to Atem and Minerva because Atem listed the books as though he was repeating them after someone else. Neither professor wanted to question the matter for the time being. Finally Minerva left, presenting Atem with both his and Yuugi's keys, and Atem was able to slip into his rooms. Their things had already been brought up – Atem could only assume Yuugi's were in his room – but Atem bypassed changing in favor of falling straight onto his new bed and going to sleep with a telepathic 'good night' to his partner.

Yuugi stayed so long in Severus' office that the potions professor, who also mentioned to Yuugi that he was Head of Slytherin House, escorted Yuugi back to his rooms and suppressed the smile that threatened to take his face with each yawn that the Japanese youth stifled. Severus had found that Yuugi picked up potions basics surprisingly well and was surprisingly looking forward to talking to the new professor more. Luckily the door wasn't locked and Yuugi was able to bid Severus a polite good night.

Seto had spent his night uneventfully unpacking his things and rearranging his office and classroom the way he wanted. It had come as a surprise when a number of small elfish creatures had popped up to assist him but, after finding out he could not get them to let him work on his own, he allowed their help in cleaning.

Ryou attempted to do the same thing but Bakura had other plans for his gentle _hikari_; they ended up retiring early to bed, lucky their rooms were not within hearing distance of others, and falling asleep closer to midnight. It had been an interesting day for all involved and the days following would only prove to be even more eventful.

* * *

_A much more satisfying length this chapter. I owe an apology to all my English teachers because OMG an outline really does help the planning of a story! For the most part I'm pleased with the way this came out. I didn't detail a lot of the shopping because, come on. We went through seven books of Harry Potter – I'm sure people are familiar with what happens already._

_So, funny story – well, not really. It sucked, but oh well. I have up to chapter fifteen (there probably won't be more than twenty chapters) outlined in a binder. And I lost the binder for about two weeks. My general rule of thumb, so to speak, is to wait until I have about five reviews before posting a new chapter, or about two-three weeks, depending on which happens first. In this case the lack of notes slowed down the process a bit, for which I apologize._

_I guess you could consider this a (slightly early) Christmas present, since I have to work all the way up until Sunday. No Christmas break for me. –Sigh- I want to get one more chapter out before I leave for boot camp, so I'll do my best!_

_In any case, this concludes chapter four. Hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I had fun writing it, missing binder notwithstanding._

_**Kumo:**__ Japanese for "cloud". Since an Egyptian Mau _is_ gray I thought I suited the cat.  
__**Sennen: **__"Millennium" or, literally, "Thousand Year". The Items' owners are a little different in this story. I will be using "Tauk" and "Ankh" rather than "Necklace" and "Key", respectively.  
__**Hieratic:**__ Not exactly Japanese but for those who don't know: Demotic was the cursive-like style of Egyptian writing that was used alongside hieroglyphs and hieratic was the spoken version of this writing. In this case it's what Atem or Bakura would speak when angry and can be assumed the spoken Ancient Egyptian language, i.e.: "prA-a" which is "pharaoh/palace" (a popular term in fanfiction) and "biAw" which is a possessive way of saying "mine" (also a popular term). _

_Word Count: 9,017_

_Kampai! (And Happy holidays, everyone!)  
__AkizukiSakura_


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